


Atlamillia

by Zerrat



Category: Dark Cloud
Genre: Expanded Canon, Gen, Novelization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-06-06
Updated: 2012-08-16
Packaged: 2017-11-12 06:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 68,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/487745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zerrat/pseuds/Zerrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 400 year old menace has been released on an unsuspecting world. Toan, a young boy from a small village, is the only one who possesses the power to restore a destroyed world and defeat the Dark Genie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Everything Is Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> For a while I've been wanting to do a write-up of the Dark Cloud game, with a whole lot of ideas plaguing every moment of my waking hours. For a very long time I was wondering, how does Toan ACTUALLY build the villages, if he was real and didn't have the 'magic' Georama? How does he interact with the villages around him, how does he interact with his allies? He does talk in this one. 
> 
> This story will expand on the game, giving more depth to dialogue and maybe more to the characters. That is, if I can manage it.
> 
> Toward the end it will have a few AU qualities, but those will be very minor and explained at the time.

_A book was found in some old ruins._

_All the scholars who decoded it puzzled over the mystery of the book._

_A world with two moons illuminating the sky…_

_The many dazzling adventures of a young boy…_

_But whether or not this is a true story…_

_Do you believe in the story woven in the book?_

_Maybe it's a fantasy that existed only in a boy's heart…_

_Let me tell you this story. This ancient book tells of a magical and magnificent fairy tale… and the hero of this wondrous tale, whose name is Toan._

* * *

_**East, Dark Temple** _

_**Dusk** _

The temple was cold and dark, the torches lining the walls barely able to dispel the lingering blackness. A beat, like a giant, hammering heart, filled the air. The beat of music… music fed by blood. The young man strained around the corner of the pillar, desperate not to be seen, but needing to see what was going on in this cursed temple enough that he was willing to risk it.

His breath caught as he spotted a giant, black cauldron, steaming furiously in the very centre of the temple. No, not a cauldron, but an _urn._ The urn…

_I guess it's true. Flag really_ _ does _ _have it!_

But what was he going to do with it? Was he really going to release the horrors inside? Was he going to release Pandora's Box on the world – after what had happened last time?

The drums thrilled in his blood, their beat tribal and mystical. He closed his eyes, and flattened himself against the cold stone pillar, almost gasping for breath. The drums seemed to be right in time with his heartbeat, lulling him… His eyes snapped open.

_This dance…_

He craned around the pillar for another look. People – rows upon rows of them! – were crouched before the giant black urn. All, but one, were dressed in loincloths, tribal blue paint and snarling and feathered masks. The leader – the one at the very head of the group, right before the giant urn – was dressed differently, with no mask and no blue paint. He watched her raise her head, then roll it around. The others, as if caught in a trance, followed, their movements so completely unified that they seemed to all be one, puppets controlled by the same person.

_This dance!_ His blood ran cold, and his hand began to shake. They were really doing it…? They were going to bring him forth? Were they really going to revive him… again?

The dancers bowed as one, the leader slowly rising to her feet and rolling her head again, her eyes shut. The other dancers followed standing and rolling their head around. He was hypnotized by the strange, primal dance – so very basic, yet so very –

The doors to the giant dark temple cracked open, light flooding the area for a moment before they were slammed shut again. The young man blinked, shook his head and darted back to the safety of the shadows. Footsteps filled the air, barely audible of the pounding of the drums. He felt like he was at a cult's sacrifice…

A voice, cold and hard, spoke over the music. "You took a good while to find all of these."

The young man stiffened, and his eyes narrowed. _Flag._ The man who owned the urn, a general of the East's army, and a man who craved total dominance in the world. He could see the man – dressed in a long, military trenchcoat and sported a long blond moustache – swaggering along beside the roly-poly priest who had put this whole – the young man's mouth twisted – _ceremony_ together.

The priest of the temple sighed. It was a wet-sounding, pathetic gasp of air. "I hard a hard time finding dancers with the right qualifications."

_Qualifications? This is a foul witches' dance! Where could you get people who_ _ know _ _this dance?_

He watched the two men – so very unalike, yet united in their quest for _him –_ stroll towards the black urn. It was steaming more fiercely now, black smoke rising from the pot. The stench was overwhelming – what was this man using to break the seal?

The priest paused in his walk, staring at the dancers as they began a series of complex twirls, looking like circling birds.

"Look at them." He breathed, as if awed. "Their dance of blood… Mixing the blood of witches with that of humans is the key to breaking the seal."

The young man's eyes widened.

_Human… witch… blood…?_

He clamped his hand over his nose, fighting the urge to throw up.

_Fairies of Terra, they really are serious!_

* * *

Father Morholt rubbed his hands together, as if debating something. Flag could barely stand to look at the greedy, fat slug.

_Disgusting man… but necessary. He is the key to unsealing the urn._ He just wished it would hurry up and release what was held inside. Would it be as powerful as the legends around it claimed? Flag was counting on it. He'd spent billions of gilda on this urn. It was his _right_ for it to be worth it!

He watched Morholt look slyly at him out of the corner of his eye. Flag could have almost sighed. He almost knew what was going to come out of the priest's mouth before he even said it…

"However, I do have some problems." Morholt's lips smacked together, faking deep thought.

_Predictable scum._ However, he needed the priest's co-operation, so with great reluctance that he didn't let show in his voice, he demanded,

"Problems?"

The priest nodded empathically. "In order to produce good material, you do need adequate…" He trailed off, letting Flag fill in the blanks. Flag saw a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye, then frowned. No, it couldn't be… it was probably just a bat, or a dancer late to the ceremony. He'd have her kneecapped for that…

Suddenly, he remembered that Morholt was waiting for him to say something. He quickly tracked the conversation back in his mind, and then gave the priest a false smile.

"I see. I'll pay you extra. That should solve your problem, huh." He laughed hollowly.

_At this rate, what I'm paying the man will be worth more than the gain I'll get from using the power in the urn!_

Something had to be done about this thorn in his side.

Morholt didn't look phased. After all, this wasn't the first time he had demanded more money. "Yes sir. Thank you."

_If you weren't necessary…_ Flag snarled internally at the greedy little priest. _After the ceremony is complete, don't expect on gilda of payment._

Another flash of silver, this time closer. Flag's eyes followed it to the next pillar along, then a smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

They continued up the aisle, watching the dancers. Flag doubted the lack of decent clothing was actually a part of the ritual. Morholt was a disgusting man…

They stopped before the giant urn, silently watching as the dance slowly began to get more elaborate. Flag clenched his jaw, watching them twirl around and around, and their hands caressing their bodies and twisting through the air. Morholt looked like he was enjoying the sight. Flag could care less. So long as it worked…

Minutes passed, and Flag's leg was beginning to cramp. It was an old injury, gained when he'd scouted near Muska Racka when he was a corporal in the East's Military. Apparently those Sand Warriors didn't enjoy being watched…

"So when will it happen?" He hated to display weakness – weakness was for the underlings, not the most powerful man in the East. But if this whole thing didn't hurry…

Morholt didn't take his eyes off the dancers, and Flag allowed himself to wonder if Morholt had to take a vow of chastity or something before he became a priest.

"Very soon, sir." Then, completely oblivious to Flag's pain, Morholt stated, "Let us enjoy the ceremony till it is time."

The dancers twisted and turned, bowing to the urn over and over. The music began to beat faster…

"Flag, sir. Do you know the legend of the Dark Genie sealed in the urn?"

Was this man a total buffoon?

"Of course. Do you know how much money I've poured into acquiring this urn?" Flag let the question lie. Morholt knew exactly how much – he'd added a considerable amount in fees to it. No time for that now, it would be taken care of later.

"I've been waiting for this for years, and now its legendary power is mine." A thrill of excitement ran through him, and Flag had trouble keeping his composure.

_That power_ _ will _ _be mine. All mine. And none will be able to stand in my way. Not the East, not the Terra Fairies, and certainly not any in the West!_

"400 years ago it appeared in the East." Morholt's voice was far away, as if recalling something. Flag let him talk. He'd heard this story thousands of times.

"It almost destroyed the entire world. What do you intend to do with such frightening power in your hands?"

_So now you ask, pathetic little man? On the eve of awakening, you ask what I intend to do? Your greed truly has blinded you._

Flag allowed himself to chuckle. "You'll see…"

The music climaxed, the dancers' twists and twirls going faster and faster… and they suddenly tensed, as if getting shaken by some enormous force.

Flag watched them, the prickling of curiosity beginning in the pit of his stomach. Was this part of the ceremony?

A dark beam – a beam that seemed to suck all the light from the temple – shot from the urn, like a giant jet of black steam. The temple began to shake, and the dancers froze. All in the building stared at the massive urn, the red liquid covering the surface of the seal beginning to bubble and spew over the edge of the urn. The smell of hot blood filled the air, sickeningly heavy.

The dancers fled the temple.

Flag watched them go disgustedly. _Cowards…_

"So now is the time…" He stepped forward, staring at the urn. It was nearly time – he was so close!

Morholt nodded, following him. "Yes sir, so it seems."

The black steam solidified, and Flag's anticipation of this moment was almost too much to bear.

An arm… another arm… two legs… and a giant _fat purple head._

_ What?! _

The giant figure of the horrifying Dark Genie of legend – the being who almost destroyed the entire world, had formed.

_A giant, purple pig-cat?!_

The Dark Genie stared down at the two before him, allowing himself to land on the ground with a resounding smash.

Flag stumbled, but caught himself quickly on Morholt. Morholt's sweaty hands pushed him away as the Dark Genie roared. The earth seemed to tremble beneath their feet.

He honestly couldn't believe it. He stepped forwards again, this time not with anticipation but disbelief. "Wha? This is… the Genie? The Dark Genie?"

They both stared up at the giant, fat pig-cat.

Morholt recovered quickly, frowning up at the creature as it scratched its ear. "Well…"

_Say the wrong thing and I'll…_

"It's quite _different_ than I imagined," the priest finished.

The Genie took hold of it's giant pot-belly and wobbled it around. Flag felt slightly repulsed at the sight of the foul, quivering purple skin.

The creature yawned, licking its lips and staring around the temple.

* * *

The silver-haired young man froze as he felt the Genie's gaze on him.

"The ancient Dark Genie… _This is it?!"_

* * *

The Dark Genie blinked a few times as if to clear its eyes, then spotted the two humans below him. He looked surprised.

"Hey! Who are you guys?" The creature demanded in a bellow.

Flag and Morholt were silent, looking at one another.

_You first,_ Morholt's beady black eyes were saying, and the priest wiped his runny red nose on his sleeve, his white eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

Flag took a deep breath, not showing any fear. The creature fed on fear. He was _not_ afraid!

"Welcome Dark Genie. I broke the seal and released you. Therefore, I am your master." He walked forward, addressing the Genie confidently.

The Dark Genie frowned, then shrugged. "Oh, is that right…? Whatever. Fine."

There were a few moments of silence. Flag could have sworn that the Genie was deep in thought -

"!"

Flag had never seen anyone look so stunned or horrified as the Genie did at that moment.

The Genie's mouth fell open, revealing four, sharp, cat-like fangs. Flag wondered just why the Genie needed teeth… "I haven't eaten in 400 years! Darn, I have to eat something! I need food… food…"

The creature began to look around the temple desperately.

Flag frowned. Surely Genies – and one as powerful as this! – didn't need to eat! Perhaps he should have brought a heard of cattle with him. Not eating in 400 years would surely kill anything!

The Genie's small red eyes rested on the two humans below him – and on the roly-poly priest beside the man who called himself the Master.

"Got you!" He roared, pointing one pudgy arm at the priest.

Morholt's eyes widened. "Huh?"

The Genie reached out and grabbed the fat priest in one hand. Flag stepped back carefully, making sure that he wasn't caught up too. He hid a small smile behind his hand. Everything was working out so perfectly…

Morholt was screaming. "Waaaa, ugghhhh, stop it. Heeeeelp!!!" he begged Flag. Flag smirked and shrugged, not bothering to even waste the effort to save the man. If that was what the Genie wanted, the Genie would get it. So what if it also got rid of a potential problem? Two birds with one stone.

He was starting to like this Dark Genie.

The Genie dangled the screaming, priest over his gaping maw, his blue tongue stretching out. The priest was shrieking, begging for Flag's help. The Genie swallowed the man in one gulp, then looks at Flag. Flag's stomach plummeted in fear.

_He's not going to eat his… master?_

Flag gulped as the Genie laughed evilly, its long blue tongue darting out to lick its lips.

"Mmmm, delicious."

* * *

_**Central-Western Region, Nolun Village** _

_**Night** _

It was night time. Drums, easy-going and punctuated with flutes and guitars, fill the night air. A girl ran across the village, searching for somebody important. Her footsteps crunched in the dirt of the road, her breath was short and choppy. The night was warm, so the girl only wore a simple brown dress, her hair caught in four brown braids. She paused for a moment to stare up at the sky, trying to catch her breath.

The two moons shone down like to friendly eyes on the small village, and all around them sparkled tiny silver stars. The mayor used to tell her that Dran, the god who watched over the village, had placed them in the sky so Klikk Nolun, the founder of the village, was able to find this place and set up a home here. That had been before the mayor had become obsessed with tinkering with the machines he got from the far-East, anyway.

The Summer Festival was held in thanks of Dran, for the magic he gave them to grow crops and the protection from monsters and evil he provided them. Paige sighed, still gasping for breath, and ran on. The festival had started already! If he didn't come quick, he'd miss watching all the villagers dance!

She spotted Toan's house, the lights of the kitchen still on. She groaned.

" _Toan!_ " He was probably still eating dinner at this rate! Toan wasn't exactly the quickest person in the world. If he did something, he did it well. The only thing that was wrong with this, however, was that he took his Terra-damned time about doing things right! She could hear the music getting more involved, and people were starting to dance.

There was a wave of laughter from the bonfire in the centre in the village. Paige groaned again, craning her neck so that she could see what was so funny, but gave up when she noticed Dran's Windmill in the way. She had to find Toan quickly, before they missed out on more!

* * *

Toan carefully buttered his slice of bread, trying to get the spread even. The warm bread began to melt the butter, yellow liquid running into the fibers of the bread. He folded it, then took a large bite. He grinned as he swallowed it in a gulp. Perfect. Just the way he liked it. His mother was almost finished with her meal, only a few small slices of fruit left. He grimaced and looked at his own full bowl of soup. He guessed he shouldn't have been helping himself to the bread…

"Toan, shouldn't you be hurrying?" his mother asked, sliding a slice of apple into her mouth. She was always telling him to eat more apples – apples were good for gaining strength. Toan really didn't see the need. He wasn't a dungeon junkie, unlike the Macho Brothers who lived across the town. Since the Divine Beast Cave on the outskirts of the village was a safe place with Dran's magic protecting it, the Macho Brothers went to visit Matataki Village in the West to fight in the Wise Owl Forest. They used to bring back all kinds of stories about the forest – ones about monsters that looked like treasure chests, werewolves and gnomes with names like the days of the week. Toan wasn't sure how much of this was really true, but they made for good stories.

Maybe Komacho would tell one tonight. But Toan wasn't like the Machos, or his father. His father had been the great warrior Aga, and Toan had no intention of following in his footsteps. He was happy in Nolun Village.

He shrugged to his mother's question, answering softly, "In a bit."

Renée gave him a smile, motioning for him to take an apple. "So you get big and strong."

_Like my dad?_ He could tell she missed him… so he gave her a smile and grabbed one of the white apples from the basket in the middle of the table and slid it into his pocket. His orange poncho hid his wiry frame from sight, but everyone knew it – he was not cut out to be a great man like Aga. He was too careful.

Renée nodded, then finished her meal. Toan smiled down at his bowl, grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the hot brown liquid –

A knock barely had time to register in his senses before the door to his home slammed open, and Paige burst inside, gasping. Toan dropped his spoon in shock, the tool bouncing onto the wooden floor of the kitchen. He made a face, attempting to bend down to grab it, but the girl, having asked his mother how she was, yelled explosively at him,

"Toan! It's already started!"

He winced as his eardrums complained from the treatment, then abandoned the spoon. Maybe if he looked at her she wouldn't feel the need to yell so loudly…

His mother laughed. "See, I told you. You should have hurried."

Paige nodded empathically. "C'mon, we're late! I'm a staff member this year, so…" Toan could hear the pride in her voice. It had taken her quite a few years before she'd been able to join the staff for the Summer Festival. Paige bit her lip. "…so I have to go. Sorry…"

She ducked out of the house and shut the door quietly. Toan blinked, watching his mother begin to pile the dishes up.

"Oh, she left you. Toan, hurry up."

She gave him a small smile, took the dishes to the sink and began to wash up. Toan shrugged, then looked about for his spoon.

_Rats. Can't find it…_

So instead, he picked up his bowl of soup and slurped it down. He grabbed his favorite green hat and stood, grinning at his mother's frown for slurping his soup. He adjusted his gloves, then waved goodbye to his mother.

"I guess I'll see you at the bonfire?" He asked quietly.

Renée turned on the tap, smiling over her shoulder. "If I ever get through all these dishes, you will! You'd never think you ate this much, looking at you Toan. I guess that means you'll never be the size of Claude," she told him with another laugh. Toan moved to help, but Renée waved him off. "No, Toan. You go have fun for once." Then, cryptically, she told him, "Good luck!"

* * *

Toan ran down the high stairs of his home, and took a deep breath of warm air. He could smell the roast chicken from the bonfire, spiced so wonderfully he felt his mouth begin to water again. But that chicken was for Dran when he finally arrived. But it was strange. Usually Dran was at the Village much earlier than this…

He could hear someone playing the flute to the sounds of drums and guitar, then he laughed.

Last Summer Festival, Komacho had made a bet with Odd Gaffer, the village shopkeeper, that he'd break Pike's Gobbler fishing record of 154 cm. Komacho had lost – badly – with one Gobbler fish of a mere 101 cm. Gaffer had laughed and told him that he'd be playing the flute for the next Summer Festival.

Komacho actually didn't sound too bad, but Toan was willing to bet that Komacho's bigger, younger brother Macho wasn't going to let him live it down any time soon.

The entire Village Square was decked out in ribbons and banners of celebration, with the large bonfire placed squarely in the middle, in front of the mayor's house. Toan grinned and took another gulp of the warm night air, watching two boys run towards the fire, giggling as they went.

Toan had never been so happy to be alive. He ran after the boys, stopping on the outskirts of the celebrations. All around the central bonfire there were people dancing, everyone laughing and having a good time. Toan saw Alnet, a good friend of his, leading the dances, while her younger brother Carl clapped and cheered from the sidelines.

Around the other side of the bonfire, Toan saw Macho. He was ridiculous moves to the music, posing and showing off his hard, suntanned muscles. Toan burst out laughing, then saw Claude – a man who seemed to be little more than a fat, candy-eating machine – doing the same moves. His flabby arms tensing didn't seem to have the right effect, but as the villagers around Claude began to clap, Claude gave everyone a good-natured grin and a bow.

Across the bonfire, Komacho waved to Toan and shouted breathlessly,

"You're late, little man!"

Toan nodded, and Odd Gaffer gave him a grin as Komacho resumed playing.

* * *

Looming high above the earth, in the light of the two moons, an ominous figure hangs, waiting.

The Dark Genie growled deep within his throat as he saw the people laughing and dancing in their puny little festivals.

Flag stood in his palm, his hands clasped behind his back, watching the tiny people.

_Fools… don't you know the end has come?_

He laughed as he noticed the murderous look in the Dark Genie's eyes. Excellent…

"Look at the insects squirm about."

The Genie grunted affirmative.

Flag smiled cruelly, imagining the horror that would soon take place with a relish. "Start there. Heh, he he he…" He gestured to begin, like he was signaling a charge on enemy forces, not on innocent villagers.

_The East will rule…_

The Genie smirked at Flag, and pointed down at the village and the people crawling about it. A giant purple beam erupted from his finger, powerful enough to spin the Genie around and around. He levels his finger again and sends another beam down, one from his other hand, one from his feet, beam after beam down on the festival and the world itself…

The Genie roared, savoring the essence of destruction as the world burned.

* * *

Explosions were going everywhere. People were screaming. Everyone was running, there was no time to lose –

Toan stood in the centre of the chaos, watching in horror as his village went up in flames.

_No… no! What's happening? WHY?_

The bonfire vanished in an explosion, engulfed in a burning, purple light. The ground trembled, and the bonfire exploded outwards, debris flying everywhere, burning wood and smoking meat landing around Toan.

_Oh Terra – what about the people around the bonfire? Macho? Odd Gaffer? … Alnet! Carl! What about Mom?_

In panic, he turned to where his home was. It was sitting quietly where it always had, but –

" _NO!_ " He screamed as he saw the purple light heading for his home. _"NO… please!"_

He watched the door crack open, his mother staring open-mouthed at the chaos all around. His eyes widened.

" _No! Get back inside!"_ He knew she couldn't hear him, and his house vanished in white light. Toan felt like his heart was getting ripped from his chest where he stood. His mother… she was…

_Dead._

Gaffer stumbled by him, tripping on flaming debris. He fell to the ground with a pained moan. Gaffer struggled to get up for a few seconds, and Toan blinked back his tears furiously. Maybe she had survived... maybe. He helped the old man to his feet, looking around the town desperately.

Nobody was there anymore. They were all… gone…

What was he supposed to do? Everyone was screaming, dying, vanishing in the white light. The sound of breaking wood brought his attention to the windmill closest to the Divine Beast Cave. It was burning, slowly falling… _and Paige was trapped beneath it._

"Toan!" she screamed, scrambling to get up.

There was no time. The windmill was falling, he was too late. A few seconds earlier, he might have been able to save her. He'd die along with her if he went now…

"Toan!" Paige begged again. Toan's will galvanized, and he shot off across the ground. His feet barely touched the dirt as he bolted for the windmill. It was falling, getting so close to her now… Toan roared definitely and leaped for her hand and caught it, just as they were engulfed in painful, white light.

* * *

The flaming windmill crashed to the ground, the Genie landing on the wreckage with a vibrating crash.

It turned to Flag, looking satisfied with the destruction it had wrecked. Flag nodded.

Indeed…

The Genie had done well.

* * *

_**Unknown Region** _

_**Time Unknown** _

" _Hi there… Can you hear me…? Open your eyes. Wake up! Hey!!"_

Toan winced and slowly opened his eyes, clutching his head. Terra, he had the worst headache. Maybe he'd drunk more at the Festival last night than he remembered…

_Wait a second._ His back was sore, small burns and cuts covered his arms. They had not been there yesterday – how had he…?

His head jerked up, and he stared around into blackness.

Where _was_ he? And what had happened to the village? All he remembered was the explosions, and Paige…

_Paige? Is she alright?_

Then, with a start, he noticed that he was not alone. Before him stood an old man, his dark eyes friendly and his beard long, grey and flowing. A long staff of grey wood was clutched in his hands, and he was dressed in yellow robes.

Toan's jaw dropped. He'd heard stories about this man, but he never actually thought it was real –

The old man coughed to clear his throat. "I am the Fairy King… I'm the entity that unites all of nature's spirits."

Toan's mouth fell open even further. So he _had_ been right!

The Fairy King sighed, rubbing his head. "Listen well young one. Something bad has happened… Men blinded by greed have revived the "Dark Genie". This Dark Genie is terribly powerful. Its power it so great that it could destroy the entire world. You saw it… your own village being destroyed right before your eyes."

Toan's shoulders slumped. So it really… it really had happened. Everything was gone. Was he the only one left?

The King nodded in understanding. "Not just your village. In a flash, many villages and towns were destroyed. In one night half of your world was annihilated."

_\---The bonfire vanished in an explosion, engulfed in a burning, purple light. The ground trembled, and the bonfire exploded outwards, debris flying everywhere, burning wood and smoking meat landing around Toan. ---_

_\---In panic, he turned to where his home was. It was sitting quietly where it always had, but –_

" _NO!" He screamed as he saw the purple light heading for his home. "NO… please!"_

_He watched the door crack open, his mother staring open-mouthed at the chaos all around. His eyes widened._

" _No! Get back inside!" He knew she couldn't hear him, and his house vanished in white light.---_

_\---Toan roared definitely and leaped for her hand and caught it, just as they were engulfed in painful, white light.---_

Everything was gone. Everything. Toan felt rage bubbling through him. All of it… everyone. All his friends, his family, his _life…_ it had all been taken away. He closed his eyes, praying for control.

The Fairy King sighed, grinding the tip of his staff into the ground. "It must be the men from the East that performed the resurrection ceremony. Probably thinking to use its black demon power for war, without realizing how frightening it is…"

Toan felt disgusted.

_War? Burning unarmed and innocent villages is not_ _ war _ _._

"It is darkness… pure darkness itself. Long ago this so-called _Dark Genie_ almost destroyed the entire world. Its malevolence is that great. The bad thing is that it has the same type of magical power as us, spirits. Unfortunately, we aren't powerful enough to destroy it."

Toan's fist clenched. So there was no way to put an end to it? In all the stories he'd heard, the evil was always vanquished? Why wasn't life like that?

"Young man… I see that you have a strong will that could withstand the evil power. And also a clear, kind heart. You might be able to fight against the darkness it generates."

Toan looked up in surprise. So… the Dark Genie could be stopped? Even if his village was gone, there were other villages, other people out there. What about them?

The Fairy King nodded to himself. "I decided to stake our fate on you. Let me bless you with power." He waved the long grey staff.

Silver light shot out of the tip and circled Toan. It flowed to the back of his left hand, and seeped into his glove. Light blinded him for a moment, and suddenly a glowing, blue gem was anchored there.

Toan jumped, immediately trying to pry the stone away.

_Oh Terra, it's not coming off!_

The Fairy King laughed as Toan gave the stone a look a woman would give a spider. "There, surprised? That's called _Atlamillia_ , it's a stone with a magical power. Oh, don't look that way, boy. I'll explain now. It might get too bright for your eyes for a moment."

White enveloped Toan, and he had to shield his eyes with his hands. The blue stone… _Atlamillia…_ was cold against his cheek. Slowly, the light faded, and Toan blinked. They were in a flat, empty place of grass. There was a building at the far end that Toan couldn't really make out…

The Fairy King walked forwards, gesturing to the empty flat. "Do you know where this is?"

Toan squinted and looked around. It did look vaguely familiar…

"This is no simple empty lot. This was your village."

Toan's eyes widened. There was nothing. No wreckage, no… no … bodies, no nothing. Then that building must be the mayor's house! Toan's heart went wild. So he wasn't the only one to survive!

"Do not lose heart. As long as you have that stone, you can return it to its original form. You see, just before the village was destroyed by that Genie, I saved the buildings and people by sealing them into spheres called _Atla."_

The Fairy King waved his staff, and an image of a large sphere appeared in the air before Toan. Toan reached out hesitantly, Atlamillia on his hand glowing furiously. He twitched his hand back, unsure of why the stone was reacting so furiously.

"It seems that these Atla were scattered all around by the tremendous magic power. They were probably blown to different places around the world. It probably thinks everything is destroyed. You must restore the world before it realizes what happened. Absorb that which I sealed in Atla, using that Atlamillia, and bring them back. Then you'll be able to restore the world to its original form."

_No pressure or anything…_

The Fairy King chortled as if he could hear Toan's thoughts. "You may even be able to create an even better world than before."

Toan stared at Atlamillia. Was it really possible?

"Hmm, you don't seem to understand anything I'm saying… Oh well, I'll give you another lesson when you acquire some Atla. Then again, next time I come back, you might not need it!" The Fairy King laughed again.

Toan felt confused. So it _was_ possible to get everyone back? His mom? Paige? Macho? Carl?

"So long!" The Fairy King bowed to Toan, and vanished in a stream of light and shot across the sky. Toan stared after the Fairy King in shock. What had just happened…? What had he just gotten himself into?

Two butterflies floated down from the sky, circling Toan, brushing him with their wings, and two lone flowers, growing despite the hell that had happened in this place, caught his attention. The butterflies of light fly off into the sky, and Toan watches them go.

He felt… strange.

_Toan, can you hear them?_ The Fairy King's voice asked him in his mind.

Toan nodded, a smile coming to his face.

_You should be able to hear them._

_Voices of the wind…_

_Voices of the trees…_

_Voices of the animals…_

_And the voices of earth. They are calling for your help._

Toan set his shoulders, looking down at the flowers.

_Toan, you will probably meet and say goodbye to many people. In talking to these people you may receive clues to defeating the darkness. Look for them._

The sun was high in the sky, and Toan began to walk towards the mayor's house. He would do it – for everyone.

_Now Toan, your adventure will begin!_


	2. The Divine Beast Cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, up first we have the wretched Divine Beast Cave, as Simba so eloquently put it. From here onwards, I am veering slightly away from the script – not the story, but some of the things said will be expanded on, actions added, explanations put in. I guess you could call it a 'between the lines' with a little more freedom.

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Day One** _

_**Morning** _

Toan frowned, pushing his sweaty brown hair from his eyes. The sun blazed down on him, bright sparks dancing before his eyes as he squinted up at the heavenly body.

 _Morning…_ He sighed, wiping moisture from his forehead. _It's already baking. Must be because there are no trees…_ He looked around the empty valley, his jaw clenching tightly. _Or that there's no river, or windmill._

_Or anything._

If the Fairy King was to be believed, everything was all right. Everyone was sealed in spheres called… Toan frowned. What were they again? Atla? So the people of his town were in Atla, and so were their belongings. Toan's back ached, his head pounded and his sweat was stinging in his cuts. He felt like he'd been put face-first through a meat-grinder for pies, minus the gravy. The skin of his arms were almost blackened with soot from all the fires of the night before, and he wasn't sure when he'd be able to be clean once more.

 _If only home hadn't been destroyed…_ he thought wistfully. There was a shower out back there, a change of clothes, food and water – his stomach rumbled. Toan made a face, wishing he was able to concentrate. Half the world was destroyed, and he could barely think past his growling stomach.

 _I just hope the Mayor's alright. Maybe he knows what to do._ Slowly, Toan nodded and shielded his eyes from the sun so he could make out the distant building. With any luck, the Mayor would be there. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do going about saving the world, but the Mayor had to have some suggestions. Just to get started…

Toan wiped the sweat from his eyes again, muttering to himself. Why was it so Terra-damn _hot?_ It had never been this hot during spring. Surely even the deserts in the South couldn't even be this parched…

 _I can't stand that sun much longer…_ Toan straightened his turban, narrowing his eyes at the house. _I guess I'd better get there fast, or not at all._

He began to run – slowly at first, the sunlight stinging in his eyes and burning his skin, but soon his feet were going faster. He could hear the loose dirt where fields had once been scrunching beneath his feet, the wind whipping his orange poncho back and whispering like ice over his sweaty skin. The blisters on his heels began to rub against his boots, the coarse material of the poncho rasping over the skin of his arms. Everything felt so intense now. Toan forced his eyes open and let out a massive holler – he was _alive_. Not like before; not like when he was imitating life without truly enjoying every sensation available to him. He was _living._

As he slowed down near the base of the wooden stairs that lead up to the mayor's house, Toan doubled over, gasping and trying to stop himself from laughing. Life was a _lot_ better than death that he was sure of! He sucked in huge breaths, trying to keep himself from fainting from the heat, and then looked up. The mayor's house stood silent and motionless, still looking like a giant, wooden blimp had crashed on the raised area of land in the valley and the mayor had simply decided to live in it. Toan rested his gloved hand on the wooden rail of the stairs, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

_What if the mayor isn't there? What if it's just the house left?_

Toan mentally shook himself. He was being stupid. The mayor was in there – he had been in his home when the Dark Genie had struck, so if the house had survived, surely the mayor had too… The sun still beating down mercilessly from above, Toan took a deep, long breath, and then strode up the wooden stairs with all the calmness he could pull together. There was really no other way to find out.

The metal of the door was cold on his fingertips through the gloves, and Toan hesitated again, and then smiled ruefully.

 _So full of the joy of living, and I can't even deal with the idea of a setback._ His eyes fixed on the stone – Atlamillia – planted into his flesh. It reflected the burning light from the sun, seeming to glow as Toan stared at it. He sighed.

 _Some hero I am._ Toan wrapped his fingers around the metal doorknob and slowly turned it, closing his eyes. _Please be alright…_

The interior of the mayor's home was pleasantly cool on Toan's sweaty skin, light filtering in through several small windows. It was quiet – too quiet. The mayor was always tinkering away with the machines he imported in from the East, so it was never, ever this quiet –

Toan glanced around the room hurriedly, his heart in his throat. No – the mayor wasn't here –

"You! What do you want!"

The boy's eyes snapped up and he whirled around. The mayor was leaning over the rail separating the second floor of his house with a huge drop. A thin wisp of smoke wafted up from the wooden pipe clenched between his teeth. He looked haggard, Toan noted mentally as he watched the man ease himself down the stairs. It looked like he hadn't slept in days. The mayor slowly stopped, his eyes boring straight into Toan's.

"…Toan?" he rasped, his eyes going very wide. Toan blinked and nodded, unsure of what to say. The mayor's face crumpled in relief.

"Toan, my boy! You're alive! I – I thought everyone was –" The mayor took a breath, and then started again. "It seems to me, Toan, that we are the only ones in the village who survived. In one night our village is just gone! No wreckage, or… I – _we_ never dreamt that this could ever happen!"

Toan shook his head vigorously. "Sir, I think –"

The mayor buried his face in his hands, slumping into his seat. "Can you believe this, Toan? I feel so… so helpless! I, the mayor of the village! I can't do anything to help! What am I supposed to do now?"

Toan's shoulders slumped. So the mayor had no idea of what to do, either. So he was supposed to save the world – how? Where was he supposed to begin rebuilding? Who could help him? Nobody could stand up to the might of the East, not with the Dark Genie as their weapon.

Atlamillia felt heavy on the back of his hand, and Toan glanced at it. The mayor rose to his feet, pacing.

_So I am supposed to rebuild the world with this stone. It seems impossible, no matter how much magic this thing might have._

_This stone can unlock the Atla, which are magical spheres the Fairy King used to save the people and structures of the world, sealed the instant before their destruction. It seems too good to be true…_

Toan watched the mayor pace, the man muttering ideas beneath his breath.

_So all I have to do is find these 'Atla' and somehow build the world._

_That doesn't seem any easier._

The mayor's muttering began to get more heated, snapping Toan out of his daydreaming as he began slapping his forehead. "Maybe if I call in a favour from the Old Baron - get help from Matataki Village, they can send a few hunters for help to Queens –"

 _This stone is the answer, the Fairy King told me. This stone is the key to saving the world._ Toan bit his lip, his eyes following the mayor. _I have to do something._

"Sir, I have an idea." Toan winced at the pathetic sound of his voice. The mayor halted, looking up in surprise.

"Toan, you do not have to concern yourself with this –"

_Yes, I do. It's my responsibility, now that I have Atlamillia._

He took a deep breath, and then took the plunge. "Sir, last night, a creature called the Dark Genie attacked this village. Probably Matataki, too. It's no good calling for help, because…" Toan tried to ignore the surprised frown on the mayor's face. "…because half the world has been destroyed along with our village."

The mayor's attention was on Toan completely, now. "Toan, my boy," he said softly, "How exactly do you know all of this?"

Toan hesitated before holding his hand up, the Atlamillia exposed and gleaming in the light. He heard the sharp intake of breath the beautiful stone received with a rueful sigh.

"My boy… where did you get that stone?" The mayor was frowning again, his face wrinkling deeply.

Toan wet his lips, trying to gather his thoughts. He honestly didn't understand it himself, so how was he to explain it to someone else? He could try, he guessed. "Last night, I saw the village being destroyed. My mother's house, Gaffer's buggy, the Macho's house… Then everything was engulfed in white light, and I woke up alone, in the dark. Nobody was there. Everything was gone."

"The Divine Beast Cave? Surely –"

"Then I wasn't alone any more. A man came – the Fairy King. He told me that the Dark Genie had been released from his confinement by the men of the East and had destroyed half the world in an act of war."

The mayor shook his head, looking very, very tired. "I see. The East…"

"But… he said, the instant before the people and places were destroyed, the Fairy King was able to seal them inside protective Atla. The Atla were scattered by the enormous power." Toan scratched his head, trying to sort what was relevant to what wasn't. "I'm not sure why, but the Fairy King told me to gather the Atla and rebuild the world. I mean, I get that it has to be done but… me?"

The mayor nodded sagely. "You _are_ Aga's son, after all. Never been a greater fighter, not since Fudoh of Matataki."

Toan didn't think that was why the Fairy King had chosen him, but kept quiet. "He gave me the power to rebuild the world. This stone, _Atlamillia._ "

The mayor's eyebrows rose. "Atlamillia?"

Toan felt relief, his weariness suddenly closing in like a crushing hammer. "You know it?"

"Atlamillia isn't a well-known myth, Toan." The mayor began to pace again. "I myself have only heard the bare minimum. Atlamillia is a stone of legendary magical power that is extremely rare. Nobody still living has seen Atlamillia, and very few know the name."

Toan found himself nodding. That would be why he'd never heard of anything like this stone – or the Atla – before.

"In that case, I believe that we must take this seriously. Atlamillia's name in itself… this is very serious. I can't imagine this being a prank -" Toan's attention began to wander as the mayor continued. His eyelids felt like lead, his back ached, his head was pounding with a vengeance and the burns and cuts on his arms were stinging like there was no tomorrow. He blinked wearily, staring over the mayor's shoulder. The mayor was saying something, but Toan couldn't hear – the sounds were muffled like he was underwater.

 _So… tired…_ His eyelids began to sag shut. _Sleep would be kinda nice about now…_ A dull roaring sound began to fill his ears, and Toan thought he heard something.

" _TOAN!"_

"Toan?" The mayor shook the boy's shoulder gently. Toan's eyes snapped open and he stared into the mayor's concerned face.

"Did you hear that?" he asked in a hushed tone. The mayor shook his head doubtfully, his worry written in deep lines over his face. The boy touched a hand to his head, struggling to relieve the intense pounding filling his skull.

_Terra…_

"Toan, you look exhausted. You must rest – you're dead on your feet! No, now come this way, get some sleep and we'll plan what's going to happen next when you're properly recovered." The mayor took hold of Toan's arm and sat him on the couch. Toan obeyed numbly, suddenly unable to even think for himself. Sleep sounded so wonderful, like an impossible fantasy –

The mayor took a light blanket from his cupboard and a pillow, passing them to the exhausted boy gently. Toan's eyes drifted shut and he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Day Two** _

_**Morning** _

Sunlight falling directly over his eyelids woke Toan, and he rolled over, muttering beneath his breath. He'd had the strangest, most frightening dream –

His back and arms ached fiercely, and Toan groaned deeply. Once again, it appeared it _was not a dream._ Atlamillia was cold against his cheek as he rested his face on his folded hands, alerting him to just how _real_ the situation was. Besides, have a stone anchored in your hand wasn't exactly something you could really _dream_ , no matter what you'd eaten the night before. Toan pulled the blanket higher, desperately wanting to go back to sleep. Maybe the next time he woke up, it would all be a dream. This was probably just a really, really long and horrible dream…

"Ah! Toan!"

Toan almost groaned again. So much for the hope of another chance to wake up – properly. He cracked his eyes open, fumbling blindly about the floor for his turban, poncho and gloves. He snagged the gloves first and sat up straight, blinking back sleep and pulling the gloves on. He yawned widely enough to crack his jaw, and then looked about for the mayor. He was sitting at the table, bread and cheese laid out on the table with steaming bowls of oats. The smell of dried fruit cooked into the oats made Toan's stomach rumble loudly in hunger, and he flushed.

"Breakfast, my boy. Eat up, because you still look exhausted." The mayor waved his hands at the fruit and oats, and Toan sat down at the table gratefully. Terra, the oats looked even better than they smelled! He picked up his spoon, and looked at the mayor.

"I was up thinking all last night, Toan, about what we can do." He wiped his short grey beard with a napkin and glanced at Toan. "Do eat up, lad. You do need the energy, if you are to go see the guardian of Nolun Village."

Toan choked on mouthful of oats, the burning food scalding its way down the back of his throat. He quickly downed his glass of water, blinking back tears of shock and pain from his eyes.

_I'm going where?_

"Dran will not abandon us. He'll help us, for sure. I need you to go to the Divine Beast Cave and tell Dran what happened." The mayor leaned over his folded arms, his wooden pipe clenched between his teeth securely. Wisps of smoke rose up from the barrel, before gently fading towards the high roof. Toan looked back at the mayor, raising his spoon to his mouth again – then he frowned. The bowl was empty. He guessed he was hungrier than he thought.

"The Divine Beast Cave is the cave outside towards your right hand side. You've seen it before." The grey-bearded man sighed heavily. "I may be imagining things, but I sense something has changed about the cave, so I want you to be careful. I've patched you up – put ointment on the burns and salve on the cuts, so you should be right to go."

Toan looked reflexively at his arms. Thin bandages wrapped his arms in numerous places, binding the wounds tightly. He touched one of the cuts through the linen, and then nodded to the mayor. He had done a good job – the burns didn't hurt so much now.

 _No point in delaying the inevitable. I have to go see a god…_ The thought made him uneasy. He was just a farm boy, and he was going to see a god. It didn't feel right.

Grabbing his boots and turban while shrugging into his poncho, Toan snagged a slice of toast and began to move towards the door. The mayor shook his head, and tapped the tall boy on the shoulder.

"This is the Cave Key – you'll need it to unlock the Divine Beast Cave. Generally it's locked so children do no play in there, but the time is right to unlock it again. I put the things you might need in your bag for you, and remember, don't get carried away. If you get in trouble in there, come back here. I'll get you more supplies. Good luck, Toan."

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Day Two** _

_**Morning** _

Toan felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to prickle as he stepped down into the cave, dust rising from the bare ground as his feet kicked up cloud. He swallowed.

 _Oh man, this is creepy…_ He'd never been anywhere so dark, silent or menacing in his whole life. Never – he was pretty sure that the Macho brothers had never described the cave as 'creepy' – in fact, they'd called it a boring, dead place with nothing but dust and the bones of those buried by the soldiers who fought the East four hundred years ago.

' _Sure, the bones are freaky-arse and the like, short-man, but that place gets so boring so fast you fall asleep where you stand._ ' Macho had told him one time, and that had been the end of any wish Toan had to go into the Cave.

But why could he feel a… crawling in the flesh on his bones? There was something strange an unnatural about this cave. Something that scared him. Toan's feet barely made a sound in the dust as he crept through the darkness. Torches lined the passageways, burning brightly and doing their best to dispel the blackness that had settled onto the cave. Toan wondered how Dran had time to keep all of those torches lit – it must have been a huge bother. Then again, Dran _was_ a god…

"It's for real this time, Toan."

Toan yelped and spun around, drawing his dagger from his belt and holding it threateningly before him. The Fairy King's eyes crinkled in amusement as Toan's hand dropped, the boy heaving a huge sigh of relief and slipped his knife into his belt again.

"Sorry, I thought you were –"

"-a monster?" The Fairy King asked kindly, tapping his staff in the dust. Toan felt his face flush, and he nodded reluctantly. It sounded stupid, even now.

The Fairy King gave a heavy sigh. "No, Toan, it is not as ridiculous as you might think. Monsters, drawn by the Dark Genie's corrupt power, have infested these caves. Dran or no Dran, they're here, and they will attempt to stop and destroy you – something they will instinctively do. You could feel them."

Toan looked down at Atlamillia. The light from the torches gleamed off the mirror surface… "Yes."

"As the Hero of the Atlamillia, you can sense the voices of the world itself – you can even feel the abominations themselves. Any others walking into this cave would feel that nothing would be amiss – until they got a face-to-face encounter with a Skeleton Soldier, that is. Be prepared, Toan, for from here on, you will be put to the true test." His arms spread wide, encompassing the dark chambers around them. "First, conquer this wretched Divine Beast Cave and find Dran's lair. That's your first goal."

Toan nodded slowly. It made sense, but –

"What happens when I find him?"

The Fairy King looked thoughtful. "I could be wrong, but not is all as it should be, here. I believe the Nolun Village Mayor is correct. Something has changed in this cave – and I have the feeling that it may have something to do with Dran."

"If Dran is –" Toan really didn't know how to phrase this. "If he's not okay, what'll happen?"

"We deal with that when we find him, my boy. No sense in jumping the gun, hm? For now, I want you to focus on finding and absorbing Atla. The ones containing your village have been scattered throughout this cave, and I suspect you're eager to find your family and friends."

Toan smiled eagerly.

The Fairy King chortled. "If you wish to open an Atla to collect that which lies in fragments inside it, simple walk up to the Atla. You will know one when you see one – and if not, Atlamillia will sense it and react accordingly. So you walk up to the Atla and touch it along the dividing groove. Atlamillia will enable you to bypass the security traps I've laid upon them to prevent meddlers and monsters from getting to the pieces, and it will take care of the rest. Once you get some pieces of your village, return to ground level and I'll show you how to reconstruct the world!"

Toan wished he knew what the Fairy King was talking about, but he grinned and nodded anyway. The old man raised an eyebrow at Toan, then gave the boy a short bow.

"Now, show me your true ability on this quest. Good luck." The Fairy King vanished in a pillar of light, and Toan was left alone once more. The cave was silent, then -

' _Careful there, Toan. That windmill wasn't made for climbing on.'_

Toan jumped and looked around, his eyes scanning the torch-lit cavern. That had sounded like Komacho – he could have sworn it was the short, compact man who lived on the outskirts of Nolun Village. Then he shook his head.

 _I'm being ridiculous,_ he thought in despair. _Must be lack of sleep._

He scanned the cavern again, searching for the Atla the Fairy King had described. There was nothing here – no monsters, no chests, and certainly no floating spheres. With a sigh, Toan slipped his dagger from his belt. There was only one way to find all of the Atla and Dran – he had to go further into the cave. No matter if he was scared witless, no…

Toan found the next cavern more quickly than he would have liked – and almost as soon as he rounded the bend, his senses came alive with the sound of shuffling feet, hoarse growls and shrieks of bats. He flattened himself against the wooden boards lining the walls and peered around.

A Dasher – an armoured boar that walked on two legs and wielded a spiked club larger than Toan's torso – was wandering about the cavern, occasionally snuffling the air before going back to pacing. Its club was resting on one shoulder, and he was carrying what looked like a bag of money at his belt. Beyond the Dasher a large orb floated a foot above the ground.

Toan's heart stilled.

 _An Atla._ He ducked back around the bend and rested his head against the wall. He took a deep, steadying breath, feeling the stone on his hand hum in response to the Atla. That Dasher was in his way – he didn't relish the idea of killing the beast, but that Atla… he needed to get it.

Atlamillia hummed an affirmative. Then it suddenly glowed with a dangerous red light. Toan's senses went ballistic, and he rolled away just as the Dasher's spiked club slammed into the wall – right where his head had been resting. Toan's breath caught. How close had that _been_? He leapt to his feet, his dagger drawn and he dropped into an instinctive crouch. He began to circle the boar as it shook its head and pulled its club from the hole in the wall it had made, Toan struggling to gather his thoughts.

 _What do I know about Dashers? What have the Macho brothers talked about? What would my father have done…?_ Toan's thoughts stilled as the Dasher's beady red eyes locked on him again. The creature sprinted forward, swinging its massive club sideways and down, aiming to crush Toan's chest in. Toan darted behind the Dasher as it brought its club down, gasping.

 _That thing is fast! But its recovery time is so slow – that's it!_ Toan readied his dagger, fixing his eyes on the spiked hair covering the Dasher's scalp. The boar snorted and heaved its club up again, squealed and whirled around and at Toan again. Toan's eyes narrowed, and he waited until the Dasher was swinging the cudgel at his head before he rolled around the monster and drove his dagger between the gaps in the Dasher's breastplate and into the flesh.

" _Hyahh!"_

The Dasher squealed again, then vanished in a swirl of dark air. The pouch of money dropped to the earth, and Toan snagged the sack up with one hand. The gilda clinked against one another as he emptied it in his palm.

 _Ten gilda… not that bad for the first monster taken care of._ He stuffed them into his pocket and turned his eyes to the grand prize. Atlamillia glowed, humming fiercely as he neared the sphere. The Fairy King had been right – the stone had begun to react as soon as he'd found an Atla. Toan hesitated for a moment when he reached out. This was it…

His fingers brushed the dividing groove, and the entire sphere split down the centre. It was completely hollow – or so it seemed. Atlamillia flared once more, and a small globe of yellow light rushed out and into the stone. Toan stared open-mouthed at the stone, blinking a few times. The blue stone's pale swirls darkened for an instant, then something was slowly spelled out in faint lettering.

' _Komacho'._ He smiled down at the gem, feeling a large weigh come off his shoulders. The Fairy King hadn't been lying. The world could be restored, and his friends along with it. So long as he was willing to collect the Atla to do so. Then he sighed. He had a whole lot of Atla to collect, it seemed.

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Day Two** _

_**Late Afternoon** _

It was late before Toan had enough Atla absorbed to even consider heading back to the surface. It had been hard work – a lot harder than he'd ever anticipated. His beginner's luck with the first Dasher hadn't lasted long, and as soon as he'd come up against two Skeleton Soldiers and a Cave Bat, he'd been in a lot of trouble. But he _had_ gotten most of what he remembered came with the Macho household. A lamp, a fence, a barbell, Macho and Komacho respectively, and the annex room Macho was so fond of.

Toan could help but drag his feet as he slowly made his way back to the entrance. He didn't have to worry about any monsters – at least, not until he came back in the morning. The Machos claimed monsters tended to respawn the moment you left them to it. Toan let out a groan as he realized this. Did that mean he'd have to go through it all over again if he entered the cave…?

…that wasn't exactly fair. He sheathed his dagger in his belt, trying to ignore the blisters on his feet and the ache in his shoulders. Never had he ever wanted a bed so much as now – he could finally see the entrance to the cave – the late afternoon light streaming in between the huge stone doors. Toan gave a sigh of relief. Finally – he was getting out of the darkness and into the light.

Movement to his right made him jump, and he leaped away in shock. A cat – a mottled brown thing, probably a stray – paused in surprise at his presence, just as shocked to see him there as he was to see her. Then it bolted into the darkness and out of sight. Toan frowned as he stared after it.

 _A cat, living here with all these monsters? It'll get hurt! But… there's really nothing I can do. I don't even have a home to give it._ He shook his head, stepping out of the cave and into the afternoon sunlight.

"Ah! Toan!" The Fairy King greeted him as he came out onto the empty lot. "I imagine you are surprised to see me. But your next lesson must be taught! Building the world itself!"


	3. Doin' it Macho

_**Nolun Village** _

**_Adventure Day Three_ **

_**Morning** _

"Come on, Toan, wake up!"

Toan groaned and buried his head further into the pillow, trying to ignore the harsh voices. Just a few hours longer… he'd worked too hard yesterday – didn't he deserve at least a little break?

"Ah, sleeping in, hey? You aren't going to save the world by sleeping in, Toan!"

The boy groaned again, wondering what idiocy had possessed him to tell the Macho brothers about the Dark Genie, Atlamillia and the mad quest to restore the world. The brothers had been completely enthralled by the idea of fighting a giant evil and by the fact that the Divine Beast Cave – _the_ Divine Beast Cave, which was supposed to be protected – was swarming with monsters.

 _That figures_ , Toan thought with a grumble. They were the two biggest fighting-junkies he knew…

And now they'd offered to give him a hand learning how to fight the monsters properly. At such an open and useful suggestion, Toan had readily agreed. Right up until they'd insisted on waking him up at the crack of dawn, that was.

" _Yeah, we know you're a weapons man. Can't say I really support that, but hey. Short-man, we'll teach you all we know about battling, duelling and what's going on with those weapons."_ Macho had told him before ducking out of the tent they'd let Toan borrow until his own home was back. Toan remembered feeling grateful, wishing he could do more for the brothers now. He'd fallen asleep, had the most bizarre dream about rabbits that lived on the moon, and then woke up seriously regretting taking up the Macho brothers' offers.

"Toan! Short-stuff! Get that behind out here, front and centre!" Macho's voice was the final straw. Komacho yelling at him was one thing, but Macho was kind of scary when he was pissed off. Toan gave his pillow one last longing look, and then finally poked his head out of the tent. The light blinded him for a second, and he had a hard time making out the two muscular figures waiting impatiently before him. Macho strode forwards, bending over Toan with a smirk. He then looked at his brother.

"See? I am the master, baby!" he declared, reaching over and grabbing the front of Toan's poncho, pulling the startled boy right out of the tent. Komacho rolled his eyes, tossing a plastic flask of water from one hand to the other.

"Don't let it get to your head, little brother. I'd hate to see you run through by a Master Jacket because you were preening."

Macho snorted. "Like that'd ever happen. I'm the best there ever was at duelling!" he lifted a fist to demonstrate. "Wanna check it out?"

Toan watched the brothers banter back and forth, the level of dignity being displayed by both as insults began to fly.

"Yeah, says a guy who can't even challenge a Ghost for height!" Macho shot back, his meaty hands curling into fists – fists that he shook angrily at Komacho while advancing slowly.

"You know what? Next time you're in over your head, little brother; don't expect me to waste my bombs. You aren't even worth the 80 gilda."

"Why you –"

Toan coughed quietly to get their attention. Macho jabbed Komacho hard in the chest, the older brother shoving his hand away and drawing his fists back to strike.

"Guys –" Toan tried, wishing he had a louder voice as the two began to grapple. " _Guys!_ "

Komacho released Macho from the headlock and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Macho stumbled away from his older brother, silently fuming, and then darted back into the house with an entirely fake laugh and a claim to have 'forgotten something'.

"Ah, sorry, forgot you were there, Toan…" Komacho apologized quickly, grabbing his backpack and swinging it onto his shoulder. "Yo, bro! You ready yet? The cave calls!"

Toan's stomach rumbled miserably as he grabbed his much smaller pack, his dagger and his turban. Komacho's bag was massive compared to his… he looked around for any sign of edible substances, and came up with nothing. Zilch. Zip. He reluctantly opened his pack and looked for something in there. Nothing – yet again. He must have used it all up yesterday –

"Looking for something?" Komacho called from outside the tent. Toan nodded as he poked his head through the flap, watching the compact man toss a slice of cheese and chicken onto a bread roll with envy. His mouth watered as the scent of the chicken reached his nose. Sure, the Macho brothers weren't the best cooks in the world, and the chicken and bread both looked burnt, but at that moment Toan would have given anything just to get a taste.

"Out of food? Not surprising. It takes a little time to get used to rationing in a dungeon, you know? Gotta know when to hang on for that spring that's always just around the corner, or whether your luck's just run out and you have to dig into your last bit of cheese. It's tough." Komacho gave Toan a small smile, and then tossed the boy another roll. "Can't have you fainting on us in the cave, though! We'll give you a few things in there, until you go grab some more supplies off the mayor or Gaffer's is rebuilt."

Toan nodded gratefully and bit into the bread roll. The bread and meat was burnt, the cheese was too strong, but he could swear he'd never eaten better. Komacho motioned for them to eat while they walked, heading around to the front of the house just as Macho shut the door behind him. He still looked a little red in the face, and was shouldering an even bigger pack.

"Guess it's all good, then? Let's go. Can't wait to see those Statues tremble in fear when I get at 'em!" He laughed and punched the air, completely stepping over the small fence that encircled the house. Toan jumped over the barrier, wondering exactly _why_ the Machos were so keen to get into the dungeon. As far as he knew, it was the most dangerous place in the region now.

 _Then again,_ he thought with a sigh as the Cave Door slid open with a rumble, _That actually explains it all kind of nicely._

__

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Three** _

_**Late Morning** _

It was close to noon by the time Toan and the Macho brothers reaches the point Toan had gotten to the day before, the brothers insisting that they hunt down every monster and beast they came across. Toan had really no idea of how fanatical the brothers were about their self-confessed obsession with dungeons until he actually saw it for himself.

The ease with which they took down that first Dasher still left him reeling. He'd barely seen – maybe even _felt_ – Atlamillia scream at the intrusion of a twisted presence when Komacho had hurled what had looked like deformed cherries at the charging beast, stopping the creature in its tracks. Macho had put the Dasher to rest with a short, sharp rabbit punch to the creature's temple.

It had been incredible. The speed, the way the pair had worked together so flawlessly they almost seemed like extensions of the same person.

 _I wonder if they wouldn't mind coming along with me all the time?_ Toan's feet kicked up dust as he led the brothers to the point where he'd last teleported from yesterday. He could have easily have asked the Fairy King to drop him at that point, but the Macho brothers had insisted very vehemently that they clear their way through the first lot of caverns before covering new ground. It gave them a chance, Macho had claimed loudly while ducking a swoop from a Cave Bat, to stretch their muscles.

"Oh-ho-ho _man_!" Macho clapped Toan's shoulders heartily, knocking the wind from the younger boy's lungs and forcing him to drop his dagger. Coughing, Toan snatched it up from the ground and looked around. The taller brother had walked forwards, squinting at something in the darkness.

Toan narrowed his eyes, trying to make out something in the dim light shed by the torches lining the walls. Then Macho laughed loudly and began to jog toward whatever it was he saw over there.

Toan shot Komacho an uncertain look. What on Blue Terra did Macho think he was doing? Komacho looked equally confused, muttering something beneath his breath.

"Bro!" he bellowed loudly. "What do you think you're doing running off like a headless chicken?"

"I ain't headless, big bro!" the complaint came. A yell followed it as Toan's ears picked up a sharp _click._

Komacho swore. "Damn fool's probably got a mimic! Stupid lug…" Before Toan could even ask what a 'mimic' _was,_ the short, compact man had charged off into the darkness, pulling out something round and black from his side pocket and striking a match alight.

 _A bomb…_ Toan's mind leapt at the thought, and he dashed into the darkness after Komacho. _A bomb – Macho must really be in trouble!_

There was another shout as the two brothers materialized in the darkness. There was no explosion.

"What the hell do you think you're doing???" Macho demanded, leaning protectively over what looked like a giant wooden chest. The bomb, unlit, dropped from Komacho's lax hands as the older brother and Toan stared at what Macho was protecting so fiercely.

Toan wasn't sure what to say. Obviously, Macho wasn't in any danger –

" _You stupid idiot!" _Komacho pulled Macho's head into a headlock and began to give him a noogie so vicious Toan's eyelid began to twitch just looking at it. It looked… painful.

 _No danger from monsters, _Toan amended with a slight grin coming to his lips. _Remind me not to get on Komacho's nerves…_

"Heyheyheyheyhey!" The taller brother whipped Komacho's legs from beneath him, reversing the headlock into an armbar that made the joints of Komacho's elbow crack dangerously. The man grunted, and then whipped his feet beneath Macho's in an obvious mockery of the move made on him before. Macho fell to the ground beside his brother, both grappling for control of the fight. Toan's shoulders slumped.

 _So much for a unified fighting front._ Toan could barely keep the smile fixed on his face as he watched the brothers slam into the side of the chest, still wrestling. Then suddenly Macho bellowed as Komacho's thumb buried in the flesh beneath Macho's chin.

" _Atchchchch! Give! I give!"_

Komacho sighed, releasing Macho and wiping his bloody nose on his dark wristbands. "You should be more careful, little bro."

Macho staggered to his feet, rubbing his throat where Komacho had grabbed him. "I'm as careful as a ma with her new babe," he drawled, staggering back to the chest Toan had all but dismissed. "This thing's gonna be worth every damn second I put up with you, big bro."

Toan sighed, walking forwards. _Brothers…_ he shook his head, wondering if they were like this every time they went into the Wise Owl Forest.

"You know why, Toan?" Macho asked loudly, panting as he leaned against the chest. Toan shook his head, frowning. A giant chest – a giant _treasure chest._ He could have slapped his head at that moment. Of _course_ it was a treasure chest! And now that he thought about it, Atlamillia hadn't reacted to any danger nearby.

"This, little man, is a Treasure Chest. You can find these in random places around Wise Owl Forest, and it appears you can find 'em here, too. Giant things, these are, but pretty much indistinguishable from normal chests if you pick up a navigation crystal. It's almost always good news when you find them. It means things are about to get a whole lot niftier!"

 _Yes, but… how?_ Toan eyes fixed on the large treasure chest. The side of it had been savaged recently, splinters littering the ground beneath it. At most there would be treasure or jewels in it. He didn't see how it fitted Macho's view of 'nifty'.

"But…" Komacho held up a finger. "There's usually a booby-trap or two to figure your way around before you get what's inside. Me and Macho here used to collect what we found in these, back before we became hand-to-hand fighters."

 _What's in the chest?_ Toan wanted to demand, but held his tongue. These men were helping him through the Divine Beast Cave… the least he could do was show a little respect.

"See, in here, there's either a freaky looking clown, or something that'll make your journey a little easier than it would be with that weak-arse dagger you're carting around, little man. Behold!" With a dramatic flourish, Macho stopped down to the level of the lock and put his ear to it. Komacho backed a way a few steps, fishing various items out of his pack. Toan turned his attention back to the chest.

_What on Terra is that muscle-bound…_

Macho jumped clear of the wooden chest just as a sharp _click_ met Toan's ears.

" _Fire in the hole!"_ he bellowed, and Atlamillia flared blindingly on Toan's wrist. The chest exploded, sending fragments of burning wood and melting metal flinging through the damp air like darts. Toan yelled and threw himself to the ground, splinters of wood slashing into his face and bare arms as fire scorched over the top of him. Toan coughed, forcing his head up, his eyes searching for the chest that had just exploded. Obviously, the Macho brothers had been wrong. This had _not_ helped him in any way other than to give him new scars!

Komacho coughed behind Toan, groaning as he heaved himself to his feet.

"Macho… you're a stupid jerk, you know that???" he gasped, staggering forwards. He was covered in soot and grime, small rivets of blood running down from a cut opened up on his scalp. Toan frowned and wiped a hand down his own face, hardly able to believe that so much soot had come off his face with one wipe. The cuts on his arms and cheeks stung as he got to his feet. Couldn't Macho have warned him in advance that the thing was going to _explode?_

Macho strolled forwards, grinning at his brother and helping Toan the rest of the way to his feet.

"Ah, isn't this the life, Toan?" He asked with a happy sigh.

 _Only a Macho brother could ever be happy in a dungeon…_ Toan thought, trying to hide an answering grin. Whatever the case, Macho and Komacho's enthusiasm for battling and monsters was infectious…

Macho slowly put a hand on the blackened lid of the chest, rubbing away the soot from the handles. "See what Ko meant about booby-traps? Deadly, man. Deadly, if you don't guess 'em and get the hell away before they lash out and grab you by the throat." He rubbed the handles again. "But c'mon, baby, give daddy some new combat gloves…"

He pushed the lid of the chest open with a grunt, and then both he and Toan stared into the blackness within. Light from the torches was mirrored on cold, hard steel…

"Awww man…" Macho kicked the corner of the chest, causing it to rock unsteadily on the ground. He swore, then fell to his knees and demanded the dark ceiling, " _Another_ Terra-damn sword? _Are the gods against me?!"_

Komacho craned over to stare into the chest, muttering something about useless blades before reaching into to take the weapon. It was a large, flat blade with a ragged, serrated edge. Komacho grunted.

"A _Sax_."

"A what?" Toan questioned, his eyes fixing on the blade, on the light that played along its length. It looked so unwieldy, yet there was something… he watched as Komacho took a few passes with the bulky blade.

"A Sax." Komacho sighed, rubbed his blackened face and tossed the blade back into the burned out box. Toan's eyes followed it back into the box. The Sax…

"Kind of a pity we refuse to use weapons – we use our hands and brains. The Sax is a second generation sword, and they're kind of rare to find and cost a damn bucket load. _And_ that one's got a durability that's rare in all weapons. What a _rip._ " Macho shouldered his pack once more, a tendon in his jaw twitching. "And I really needed those combat gloves. Damn."

"You know what would have been better than a sword?" Komacho limped away from the box, looking miffed. " _Anything."_

Toan watched the two brothers begin to argue again, struggling to keep the good-natured smile on his face. _These guys are unreal…_ he sighed, taking his short knife from its place at his belt. Slightly curved, double-edged –

It was really not going to be enough to get him through this. Killing the Dark Genie with a small dagger… it would be impossible. But what if...?

With some trepidation, he reached into the burned-out shell of the Treasure Chest with a hand, his heartbeat stilling as something hit his palm. He jerked his hand back for an instant before wrapping his fingers around the hilt of the weapon inside and pulled it out. Toan nearly dropped the weapon as it came out, his arm muscles screaming angrily from the abuse. But it had looked so _light_ in Komacho's hands!

 _Then again,_ Toan gritted his teeth and tried to lift the weapon's point higher than his midriff, _I'm not a muscle-bound dungeon-maniac…_ He gasped and dropped the weapon, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his gloved hand. The semi-darkness in the now-empty cavern was oppressive – Macho and Komacho were gone. Toan's eyes darted around the torch-lit chamber, and then heaved the sword level again, gasping as he laid the tip to rest on the Treasure Chest.

_This can't be worth it… I can more see myself defeating the Dark Genie with a dagger than lugging this hunk of metal around!_

**CHRONICLE.**

"Huh?" Toan looked around the empty cavern, scanning nervously for the speaker. What had it said…? _Chronicle_? What was _Chronicle?_ He could feel Atlamillia's warm approval as he heaved the sword onto his shoulder. It was a little less strain on his muscles if he rested it there… and then he looked around for the Macho brothers.

There was nothing. Just the fitful flickering of the torches, and – unfortunately – a fork in the obvious path.

… _It's always like that, isn't it?_ Toan's thoughts soured as he jogged over to the intersection, the Sax cushioned on his shoulder. _Why can't this be any easier…?_

…

Movement to his right gave him warning that he was _not_ alone. With a strangled yell, Toan leaped backwards, slamming the Sax into the rock in front of him. Sparks flew from the metal, lighting up for an instant two glowing yellow eyes and a pair of ears.

_What the…?_

The cat yowled, shooting out from the dark crevice it had wedged itself and at the startled boy. Toan instinctively covered his face, dropping the sword and backing away another few steps. He waited for the flurry of claws to rip at him… and waited. Slowly, Toan peeled his eyes open and stared at the cat. It stared up at him warily, and then began to back away. It looked half starved and so frightened…

He reached out for the small animal. The creature froze. Then it bolted into the blackness.

"Wait!" Toan grabbed the Sax from the ground and heaved it onto his shoulder with a grunt, and dashed after the fleeing form, down the left-hand side of the fork. "I'm sorry! Please, I'm not going to hurt you…" The cat didn't stop – either it was too scared, or it just didn't want to. And then it simply… vanished.

Toan slowed to a halt in the next cavern, searching madly for the lithe form of the cat. It was gone without a trace, like it had faded into the rock walls or sunk into the sand of the floor. He was panting, his back was screaming for a break and Atlamillia was humming in his mind. He blinked slowly, trying to focus. The cat was gone and Atlamillia was humming…

…what did that mean again?

"Toan!" Komacho bellowed. His voice sounded muffled, yet close. "Aren't these things those Atlases you were looking for?"

 _It's Atla! Not Altars or Atlases, At – what??? _His eyes searched quickly for the two brothers, wondering where they could have gone. A cold prickle of sweat began to coat his skin as he realized, a little too late, that they were not around…

"Short-man!" Macho peered out from around the bend, frowning at the lightly-built boy. "What're you waitin' for, huh? World ain't gonna save itself!"

Toan heaved a sigh, feeling almost dizzy with relief. It was okay… they hadn't left him… with a groan; he heaved the Sax onto a shoulder and joined the brothers in the next cavern. An Atla… _finally._ It had seemed like forever since they'd passed the point he'd stopped yesterday…

Komacho was standing with his hands on his hips, well back from the large, hovering sphere near the back of the fire-lit cavern. He looked up as Toan and Macho neared, a smirk spreading over his bearded face. He obviously was enjoying himself…

"Didn't touch the thing. Like you asked." Komacho's grin faded as he backed away further. Toan wasn't sure why he'd told Komacho not to touch the Atla – they seemed harmless enough at a glance. But then again, he remembered the Fairy King saying once that he'd gone so far as to booby-trap the spheres against malevolent hands…

Toan gave him a nod. It was far better to be safe than sorry, especially with magic. The Sax heavy on his shoulder, the boy held Atlamillia out in front of him as he stepped forwards. The stone pulsated with an internal light, seeming to tug his wrist a little further until he was almost about to touch the textured surface of the sphere…

"You smell that?" He vaguely heard Macho ask his brother in a low voice. He paid it no heed, focusing on Atlamillia. So close to saving yet another part of his world –

" _Terra-damn it!"_ Komacho bellowed at the top of his lungs, and Toan saw the short man lunge forwards out of the corner of his eye. " _It's a trap, Toan!"_

Toan's eyes widened, Atlamillia glowing red as he jerked his hand back.

_What?_

Something fell from above, landing with a crash in front of the Atla. Toan recoiled in horror.

 _A skeleton…_ The air was heavy with a stench so rotten he almost dry-retched. How had he not sensed it before? He backed away quickly to a level with Macho and Komacho, slamming the heavy sword to the dust beside him and drew his dagger, his back to Komacho's and Macho's. Komacho pulled something from his pockets, tossing it from one hand to the other. The taller brother grunted and pulled on his combat gloves and sank into a fighting stance.

"It's a Terra-damn ambush…" Macho whispered harshly in Toan's ear, his eyes darting to the heavy Sax on the ground to the light, curved dagger in Toan's clenched fist. The boy swallowed as red eyes appeared in the darkness, all around them. Komacho swore loudly.

"So many…" He struck a match on his dark arm brace, the weak flame flickering furiously. Toan's mouth felt as dry as the dust they stood in. What was going to happen to them? Were they going to just die right here, right now? He saw the tip of his dagger shaking.

_No._

He was scared. He'd never been so scared in all of his life. He was supposed to be a hero. Heroes weren't supposed to get scared…

Slowly, the creatures in the darkness began to walk forward. Skeleton soldiers, armed with shields and short swords, seeming to laugh with their gaping mouths and twisted faces. Toan felt repulsed by the stench of evil that radiated from them, from the _wrongness_ he felt from Atlamillia.

One to his left laughed.

"Hero, huh? That stone on your arm… how pretty."

Toan looked down at Atlamillia, and then clenched his hands more tightly around the hilt of the dagger.

"That'll go nicely with my shield, what say you?" The one next to the first threw back its skull and cackled. There had to be a dozen skeletons, all advancing steadily on them. "Care to give it to us?"

"He ain't giving you mongrels anything!" Macho grated. Toan glanced at the muscled man. He looked so calm, his fists held up almost casually. Toan wished he was as confident as Macho. Komacho was still tossing something black and round from hand to hand, but from this angle, Toan couldn't be sure if it was a rock or something more sinister.

"Too bad…" The skeleton cackled – the same skeleton soldier that had dropped on Toan from above. "We'll just have to cut off his arm, then! Boys!"

The dozen skeletons lifted their swords into the air and nodded. "Roger!"

Toan gritted his teeth, steadied his sword and waited for the inevitable onslaught; they were going to die right there and then, there was nothing that could save them now –

" _HRRRRAH!"_ Komacho roared as he shoved Toan to the ground and lobbed that small and black something at the advancing force. It landed in their midst, rolling around between their bony feet. The bomb exploded in a huge orange blossom of fire, shooting out to engulf the skeletons, hungrily drawing it back into itself and sucking their life-force into itself again and again…

When the flames had died down, only four were left standing. Slightly charred from the blast and staring at the blackened remains of their comrades, the soldiers looked at each other.

" _BOOYA,_ bro!" Macho held out his hand for Komacho to slap. He looked confident now. "Hit 'em hard!" He slowly slid into a fighting stance again, smirking. "Now that the odds are evened out a little… Ko?"

Komacho nodded, and tossed another piece of fruit up and down in his hand. "It'd be an absolute pleasure, Mach."

Toan heaved himself to his feet, and then tightened his fists. He was useless… absolutely useless compared to these two seasoned dungeon-trawlers. He was nothing but a dead weight here; he didn't even know how to use a sword properly. Terra, he wasn't even strong enough to _lift_ a sword properly, let alone use one!

_Terra damn it all…_

Toan watched Komacho toss the fruit in the air one more time. Like before, it looked almost like a deformed cherry – but before he could get a closer look at what it was, it was flying through the air, splattering on impact with the nearest skeleton's shield. It froze mid-step, its eyes seeming to flare in fear. Macho laughed and slapped Komacho's outstretched palm, flexing his muscles once, twice, then a third time. He slowly drew back a fist, rolling his shoulders and tilting his broad-rimmed hat over his eyes. His fist was a blur of motion, and suddenly, the skeleton had fallen over backwards, the bones scattered across the dusty cavern floor.

Macho grinned as the bones faded from sight, bizarrely kissing the knuckles of his hands.

"Yeah baby! Who's got the moves?!"

Toan bit his lip as Komacho produced another set of cherries, lobbing the over-ripened fruit at the advancing forces. They all froze where they stood, their glowing eyes darting as their bodies somehow refused to even obey the slightest command.

 _Time freeze… wait! Maybe…_ Toan's eyes cut to the Sax, lying on the ground before him. Just in front of the frozen skeleton soldiers… His heart set. _I will do something to help. Even if it's not much… I have to do something._

He shot forwards, crouched low, his hand trailing in the dust as his fingers desperately sought the blocky hilt of the Sax. They stubbed on the hard metal, but Toan gritted his teeth and heaved it onto his shoulder with an agonizing cry. The ligaments and muscles in his shoulders felt like they were about to rip to shreds –

He slammed the flat side of the blade against the skull of the skeleton soldier, shockwaves rippling up his arms as the force sent both he and the soldier reeling. Toan gasped and nearly dropped the sword, fighting to keep his fingers from springing open to relieve the pain. The skeleton stumbled back a few paces, and then froze again.

 _Second time lucky?_ Toan let out a wordless yell as he dashed forwards, the tip of the blade dragging through the dirt and grime and slammed the sword – the sharp side, this time – right on top of the skeleton soldier's head. The skull shattered, and the creature collapsed in a pile of yellowed bones, before fading away as if dissolved by time itself…

Gasping, Toan dropped the Sax and looked around. Sweat trickled down his body, his turban felt askew and _dear Fairies of Terra did his arms hurt._ Macho and Komacho had disposed of the rest of the skeleton soldiers, dusting off their trousers and smirking at one another. Once again, they'd acted as allies in the battle, and Toan couldn't help but feel a little envious as he looked to the Atla. Flawlessly they'd disposed of the enemies, each watching the other's back, and each working _together –_

Atlamillia flashed as Toan turned towards the Atla, and Toan's eyes jerked up… just in time to see the giant skeleton fall from the ceiling. Toan backed away quickly, wiping sweat from his eyes.

 _What the…? Not again…_ he could have almost fallen over. Hadn't they disposed all of the enemies? He almost wished he could spill that escape powder the Mayor had given him and just leave the Divine Beast Cave, forget about this mad quest and just live a peaceful life. Immediately, Toan felt bad for thinking that. He'd been chosen for this task, and he couldn't turn his back on the people of the world. The stone gave him great power, yet with it came a monumental responsibility he couldn't easily forget.

He backed away to a safer distance. The skeleton straightened, drawing back its large sword and readying its shield. Its eyes burned red, boring into Toan's face.

"Looks like a Master Jacket." Komacho mused, scratching his bearded chin interestedly.

"Tough son of a bitch." Macho nodded approvingly and tucked his combat gloves back into his belt. The muscled man picked up the Sax lying in the dust again, brushing the dirt off the mirror blade.

_But why isn't it attacking us?_

The Master Jacket remained motionless, the sword and shield ready as if to intercept an oncoming attack. It was… waiting for something. But what?

"What's going on?" Toan asked, coughing to clear his throat. "What's it waiting for?"

Both of the Macho brothers' faces split into two, frighteningly fanatical grins.

_Why don't I like where this is heading?_

"I think it wants to duel you, little man." Macho laughed, holding out the hilt of the Sax for Toan to take. Toan didn't take it.

" _What?_ Me? It wants to duel _me?_ " He couldn't help the high pitch to his voice. Surely they weren't serious. He could barely pick up a sword, let alone duel!

 _Then again, that's probably why it picked me. So it'd win… _Dread washed through Toan. In order to get the Atla, he had to fight a monster even _Macho_ thought was tough.

Komacho nodded. "One on one, Toan. We can't help you this time. Although…" Slowly, the short man pulled something out of his bag. Toan's eyes latched onto it.

It looked like yet another piece of fruit. Harmless, healthy. Yet he'd already seen the damage a mere piece of fruit could do in a dungeon, he'd seen it all with his own eyes. Dashers froze in the steps, bats got a taste of their own poison, and skeletons were helpless.

"This," Komacho began in a harsh whisper. "This is called a _gooey peach_. Score a direct hit on that guy when you start the duel, and suddenly things will become a whole lot easier for you. You'll have a fighting chance, to say the least!"

 _Thanks for the vote of confidence, Komacho…_ Toan wordlessly took the soft, squishy fruit from Komacho's massive hands and tucked it into his pouch. Juice from the peach had leaked all over his gloves, and he wiped them off on his black trousers before taking the Sax from Macho. His shoulders screamed in pain as he hefted it, and a groan escaped his throat. Terra this thing was so damn heavy it wasn't funny…

He slowly turned to the waiting monster. It hadn't moved a… er… bone, its red, glowing eyes following every move Toan made. Toan suppressed a shiver. There was no emotion in those eyes, no trace of humanity.

…Atlamillia hated monsters.

Toan felt himself lift the heavy sword, his muscles suddenly taking the sheer weight with ease. The blade remained even, his arms not even shaking as he held it out behind him. His fingers twitched, almost as if they counted the half-seconds until they would begin. Atlamillia glowed with a savage light, the blue gleaming off the chunky metal blade. Toan's breath slowed, his heartbeat thundering steadily in his ears. The yellowed torch-light shone over the other's armoured jacket, off the massive blade.

Toan's patience broke first. As if spurred on by a demonic rage – by Atlamillia, by the blade, or by something else entirely – and he slashed at the Master Jacket, the Sax vanishing in a whirling arc of silver. The Master Jacket caught the Sax's edge on its shield, repelling the lighter-built boy easily. Toan skidded backwards, digging his dagger into the ground to stop his slide. The Master Jacket grinned at him, its many missing teeth seeming to enrage Toan's already infuriated senses.

Setting his jaw, he pulled the dagger out of the ground and sheathed it at his belt. With an ease that astounded him, he flipped the Sax over to his left hand and dug around in his pockets. His fingers closed in on the soggy flesh of the gooey peach, and slowly he withdrew it, juice dribbling down to the parched cavern floor.

The Master Jacket charged in, the buster sword chopping at his sword arm. The boy twisted the sword around for a parry, sparks flying as the buster sword's edge caught in one of the Sax's serrations. Toan grunted, and then smashed the peach over the monster's skull.

The monster stumbled backwards, pieces of fruit dripping of in large slabs. Toan dropped the Sax with a groan as Atlamillia's light died, and with it, so did his new strength. All of his anger vanished, like it had never even been there…

"C'mon Toan!" He could hear someone calling to him. "Finish the job!"

"Nice moves, short-man! You've got him on the run!"

Their voices were so loud, so deafeningly _loud –_

' _Toan!'_

Toan looked blindly around the cavern. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Master Jacket advancing; its movements were as slow as if it were underwater. He ignored it.

' _Toan! Where are you, Toan?'_

 _Paige._ That voice… it was Paige. Was she really okay? He'd tried to save her, but in the end it had all seemed like nothing, _nothing –_

' _Toan! It's already started!'_

His eyes opened, and all he could see was the yellow light from the torches shining off the Master Jacket's blade as it swung down, ready to cleave his head in two –

Sparks flew, and Toan forced his eyes open. Clenched in his hand, Atlamillia blazing on the back of his wrist, was his dagger. His old, trustworthy dagger, his hands trembling and the blade shaking with the effort it took to keep the buster sword's edge from his face. He'd been saved by the stone – by mere inches.

_**Crrrrk.** _

His eyes widened as the Master Jacket's face seemed to twist in exertion, and stared at the small blade. It was trembling even more wildly now. His eyes darted back to the buster sword. He had to do something.

_**Crrrrrrrrrrk.** _

His eyes shot back to the dagger's blade. His heart stopped. Small fault-lines were appearing in the metal, spider-webbing out from the point of contact with the other sword.

_**Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk. Crrrrrk…** _

He squeezed his eyes shut.

 _Please let me live long enough to restore at least Nolun… please…_ he swallowed. This was it. Shaking, he set one hand against the flat of the Master Jacket's blade. The monster stared at him, unable to comprehend what it was seeing.

 _So long as I win this battle… I can continue to fight the war._ Toan bit his lip, muttered a short prayer to whatever Fairy was listening, and shoved the buster sword down just as he snatched back his dagger. The tip of the buster sword stabbed into the ground, sending the Master Jacket off-balance. Toan rammed the dagger through the monster's neck, shattering the vertebrae.

The Master Jacket crumbled, the buster sword falling from its bony hand. It fell to the dusty floor with a thud, the reverberations echoing in Toan's skull. He gasped, backing away from the pile of bones, his eyes wide. He stumbled and fell over, his gloved fingertips dragging through the dust.

 _What have I just done?_ He stared at the stone embedded in his wrist. _What did Atlamillia do? _

He could hear footsteps coming closer. Macho. Or Komacho. He didn't particularly care who it was at that moment. He just wanted to hide, feel ashamed for feeling relief that he had won, the Master Jacket had been slain, not him.

"Toan?" Macho's booming voice was low. "Little man… you did good."

_But I didn't do that much._

He heard Komacho walk forwards, examining the pile of bones. There was a moment's silence, followed by the sound of a blade sliding free of rock and grime. He could hear Komacho approaching.

"Too the victor goes the sword of the fallen." Komacho was sombre. Toan looked up. In the short man's large hands was the buster sword. Komacho's eyes held none of the zeal they had before. None of the joy. Nothing but emptiness. "Use it well."

Toan slowly slid his dagger into his sheath, regardless of the fact it was nigh-well useless. He took the Sax in his left hand – the Atlamillia hand – despite the fact it was too heavy for him to really use. Hesitantly, he reached out, wrapping his gloved fingers around the hilt of the buster sword. He took it, even if it had belonged to his enemy.

He looked around. Macho was standing near the Atla they had gone through so much to secure. Macho looked aside. Even he seemed suddenly… down. Like the dungeons no longer held any interest for him. Toan walked up to the Atla, and touched the join between the two differently coloured hemispheres.

He would continue to rebuild the world. Even if he had killed to save the lives of all others.

' _Paige'._

Toan smiled faintly.

"Let's go. We have our village to rebuild."


	4. Fisherman's Story

_**Location Unknown** _

_**Three Days since Rebirth** _

_**Midday** _

His boots scuffed up dust as he crossed the empty flats, the sun beating down on his head and face, sweat beading on his skin as he trudged onwards. Yet another empty lot of land, all traces of human life and buildings vanished as if they'd never been there.

Seda was familiar with the destruction visited on the world by the awesome power of the Dark Genie. He saw it in all his dreams – his nightmares, his hallucinations – like the moments were engraved in the inside of his brain, burned into his eyelids so that whenever he closed them, he saw it all again.

The assassin's knife, crimson staining delicate dancing robes, then rage, blind, blind rage and despair and –

The silver-haired man shook his head angrily. All of that was in the past. So, so long in the past. He had sworn to redeem himself and put a stop to the evil he was so familiar with. And what Seda swore, Seda did, even if it killed him.

But this kind of destruction… it disturbed him. It was not right, not the kind of destruction he had witnessed at the hands of the dark devil. Wreckage, scorched and twisted bodies littering the ground, livestock incinerated where they stood, trees and plants smoking, screaming images of their former selves… and there was none of it this time. Somehow, it had all simply _vanished._

His eyes narrowed as the next City came into view. A city near the ocean, surrounded by high, bricked walls…

Seda's eyes narrowed further. Something didn't feel so right at the moment –

**BOOM**

Seda jerked his head back, smirking as the cannonball whooshed through the air, mere inches from his face. Slowly, still smirking, he turned to stare at the attacker.

It was a large cannon, creaking painstakingly forwards – and locked onto the warrior's form. It halted a yard from Seda, fixing on him. The silver-haired man shrugged. If it wanted to die so badly…

And audible clanking filled the warrior's ears as the cannon reloaded the next round. It never finished.

Seda sheathed his sword on his back, brushing back a few strands of silver hair from his face. The cannon creaked one more time, then slowly slid apart, split through the centre. It crashed to the dusty ground.

"Too easy." The hardened warrior's smirk slowly faded as he looked out to the ocean. Where had that creature – a mutation of all things normal – even come from? He neared the town's walls, walking along the quiet docks, and paused to think. The waves gently sloshed beneath the wooden boards, lulling him into calmness. The sunlight glittered over the churning ocean, burning false images into his eyes.

_The Dark Genie's reach is more potent than ever before. Where is your destruction, demon? Where is your chaos?_

He didn't understand it. Where was it all? Frowning to himself, he entered the high walls of the town, his boots clicking on the pavement. The sun beat down, almost as if it were angry that none but he were around to enjoy the light. Seda strolled out into the open lots, his jaw tightening.

An aura of magic seemed to stain the ground, here. In this place… something magical had happened. Seda's eyes narrowed again, and he glanced around. Like a heavy scent in the air, magic seeped in every grain of sand and dust. And it wasn't the magic of the Dark Genie, either. Something else… something good and pure, something he hadn't sensed since he'd arrived here.

_Simba._

So that Fairy was still around? Maybe Simba could help point the way to Atlamillia. After all, the magical stone was the forte of the magical kind. The idea appealed to the warrior. Yes. Simba would help him, give him the stone. He just had to follow the path of magic.

_Atlamillia will be mine. And I'll be redeemed… for you, Sophia._

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Four** _

_**Dawn** _

The sun's rays first began to stain the hills around Nolun Village nearly an hour after Toan had risen. Exhausted, he'd dragged himself from inside his warm tent into the dark and cool night. He'd quickly eaten, his shoulders still aching from the torture he'd been through yesterday. And then he'd begun.

_Slash, hack, parry, dodge._

The Sax clenched in his shaking fingers, he began to train. It was necessary. He had to learn how to use this sword, and he had to learn how to use it well. It wasn't a choice. He _had_ to. A roosters crowed nearby, heralding the new day and the influx of questions he was bound to receive from both the mayor and Paige's father, Pike.

_Overhead swing, parry, halt, whirl and slash…_

He was gasping, his arms leaden. He could no longer feel sensations in his fingers, the blisters on his palms, the feeling of agony in shoulders as he swung the massive blade around his body before bringing it up in a short and sharp check.

_Block, stab, swing, jumping slash…_

It had been when they'd gotten back from the Divine Beast Cave that Komacho had drawn him aside.

* * *

_Toan sank onto the stool in the Macho's house, too numb and weary from the running battles fought after the duel too even consider standing… or even thinking. His head pounded, and Atlamillia felt heavy on the back of his hand. He had so much to do tonight, trees to plant, roads to place, Paige's house to fill… a lake to create. It worsened his headache even as he thought it. The late afternoon sun filtered through the window as Komacho searched the drawers next to the bed._

_He gently rested his head in his palms, smelling only repair powder and the heavy stench of the undead. The battle with the Master Jacket, the power Atlamillia had given him in that instant…_

" _Toan?" A deep, rumbling voice asked, and Toan snapped upright, reaching for his dagger at his belt. He had drawn it an inch before he had realized it was Komacho and had relaxed._

_Toan focused his tired eyes on the compact man's bearded face, the kindly smile. Komacho gave him an approving nod, and set some food on the table. The boy looked at it numbly. He was supposed to do something with it… but what?_

… _oh yes. He was supposed to eat it. He didn't feel like eating at all._

_Instead of picking up the loaf of bread, Toan pushed it away from him dazedly. Komacho sighed, passing him a cup of liquid that he had just poured from a skin. Toan stared at the cup for another few moments before he finally worked out the sandy feeling in his mouth was there because he was thirsty. With hands that trembled before his eyes, he reached out and took the cup from the man, raising it to his lips and sipped._

… _and nearly spat the whole lot out again over Komacho._

Wine? _He questioned dazedly, staring at the blood-red liquid in the cup._ I'm not allowed to have wine, my mother said…

_But Renee was no longer here. Who knew if he'd even find her again – the Atla the Fairy King had sealed her in might have been lost. Or the haunting possibility remained that the Fairy King could not save everyone, or everything before the Dark Genie's fire hit…_

_His fingers throbbed from the blisters covering them as he raised the cup to his mouth again, and gulped down the whole lot. The feeling of intense warmth eased down his throat, pooling in his belly like he had a contented cat resting on his stomach. That cat in the cave… it was all alone…_

_Toan's eyelids began to droop shut. The Sax and the buster sword were resting up against the side of Macho's annex room. Toan frankly didn't care if he picked up either ever again._

" _Toan, lad." Komacho gently waved a hand in front of the dazed boy's face. Toan didn't even have the energy to flinch._

… _he had to finish Paige's house before tonight. He'd better get started on it –_

" _Toan." Komacho's voice was a little more firm this time. "Pay attention." Slowly, the compact man drew something from the canvas sack he'd placed on the floor beside him, and placed it with a_ thud _on the table._

_Toan stared at the object, dust rising in clouds before slowly settling. Komacho let the silence ride._

" _What is it?" Toan's throat felt raw and dry as he forced out the sounds. It was nothing more than a rasp and he had to clear his throat and ask again before Komacho could understand him._

" _A book." Komacho's brown fingers brushed off the dirt of the book's cover, smoothing tattered pages over and underlining the title. " 'Mastery of the Sword, by Aga of Nolun Village'. Your father…"_

_The boy stared at the filthy cover of the book. So… this book had belonged to his father, once. A book that talked about mastering of swords and weaponry that could give him an edge in the dungeons…_

_A part of him resented that it had been Komacho and Macho who had been given the only relic left behind by his father. All Toan could remember of the legendary warrior were his eyes – clear eyes, bluer than a summer's sky…_

_But another part of him knew that Aga had left the book to those whom he believed would use it. Aga would have had no reason to believe his son would ever need to pick up a sword…_

" _Aga gave it to Macho and me… shortly before he left the village. He said to mind it… until the day you needed it." Komacho nudged the book closer to Toan's hands. And slowly, Toan pushed open the pages._

* * *

_Slash, hack, dodging swipe…_

He gritted his teeth. All through the book he'd found names of foreign swords, tips on the evolution of the blades, the rare swords, the legendary swords, and the base weapons. He'd found training exercises that were even customized to the Sax's massive weight, a short sword's lack of reach, and the buster sword's length and double-edged capabilities. It had been… nothing short of a treasure trove of hidden knowledge.

With that book he could build a weapon strong enough to defeat the Dark Genie and set the world to rights!

But first, he needed to learn how to use them.

_Dodge roll, parry, swipe…_

The Sax's power rested in exactly what made it hard to deal with. It was heavy to move, a solid chunk of metal that Toan could barely move without a great effort. But once it got moving, it had a power akin to an avalanche. Unstoppable and powerful. But he just needed the strength to use it and the power to stop it and use it in more faster-paced situations.

_Parry, hack, drop the blade and punch –_

He tried not to look at Paige's house. Ever since it had been completed, he had avoided his old friend and had busied himself with other activities. He knew that she and her father Pike would have bucket loads of questions for him, requests for where to put the other villagers, and telling him how to plant trees. He didn't have time for friends any longer. He had to become faster, stronger, tougher, so that he could beat the Dark Genie once and for all –

"Toan!"

Toan felt himself flinch. Speaking of the devil… He tried not to turn around, throwing the Sax to the dirt and massaging his shoulders. They felt tight across his back, his arms felt like lead and his palms were covered in blisters. He stripped back his gloves, wincing at the warming air stung his open, weeping blisters. To his annoyance, one had begun to bleed already. Toan grabbed the rag he'd brought out of the Macho's house and began to tear it up into bandages.

He could feel her impatience growing as she waited to be acknowledged.

He deftly wrapped the bandage over his pulverised hands, tightening it so that it felt secure (and 'coincidently' covered Atlamillia) and began on the other hand. His watcher cleared her throat, clearly running out of patience. Toan ignored her. If you ignored most things, they went away. That was a fact, he recited over and over to himself as he reached for the buster sword lying on the stump nearby.

" _Toan!_ " Her patience had finally snapped. He sighed and looked over his shoulder. He honestly didn't have time for any breaks –

Pain stabbed in his ear as two very unforgiving fingernails bit into the flesh as he turned. Toan's eyes slid around to take in his attacker, dread filling the pit of his stomach. Maybe it hadn't been such a brilliant idea to ignore a girl like her.

Her cheeks were slightly red, and she looked like she was fighting a great anger. Immediately, he _knew_ it hadn't been a good idea. Paige was really scary when she was angry…

"So _what_ do you think you're doing with those things?" She demanded, using her free hand to flip her two braids back over her shoulders. Her dark eyes cut back to his.

_\--The sound of breaking wood brought his attention to the windmill closest to the Divine Beast Cave. It was burning, slowly falling… and Paige was trapped beneath it. –_

Toan blinked away the images from his head. It was okay – that part of the horror was over. He just hadn't been _sure_ that Paige had been alright, that in the end the Fairy King had been too late…

Abruptly, Toan remembered his position, and pulled away from Paige's grip. He muttered some kind of excuse, hoping that she had already been filled in on what had been going on in the world by the Mayor. He didn't want to have to explain it all over again…

Paige shook her head. "Toan, have you even had breakfast yet?"

Toan hesitated. He really had to continue to work on his sword-skills before the next time he even considered going into the Divine Beast Cave –

" _TOAN!_ You know how important it is to eat something before you start the day!" Paige _thwacked_ him over the head with something that felt a lot like a rolled up news paper. Toan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He hadn't really been thinking of anything much when he got up. The quest for the Atla had consumed him almost immediately. Now that he thought about it… this single-mindedness had seemed almost… stupid.

"I… I didn't really think –"

"Damn _right_ you didn't think!" Paige exploded at him, her dark braids falling back beside her face. She tossed them aside irritably. "You're a guy! Guys think with their brawn and not their brains most of the time! Give me a man who thinks for a change and I'll pay you a million gilda!" Paige took a long breath.

 _Terra she's mad… did I really irritate her that much to deserve a lecture? _Toan fought to keep from looking scared now. Paige advanced, poking the boy in the chest and snapping,

"There I was, worried sick about how you're coping with _this-"_ He didn't have to wonder was 'this' was. "-and you're out here, pretending you don't have any friends or _anything!_ " She took another long breath. It sounded like a long-suffering groan.

"I'm sorry I ignored you Paige –"

"D'you want something to eat or what?" She said firmly over the top of him, her eyes glittering with a warning that should he refuse, he was going to be _marched_ to get food. He made a half-hearted sound of protest that died even before it got to his mouth. He dropped the buster sword onto the stump, his shoulders suddenly feeling a little less painfully tight. His back hurt so badly from doing the exercises with the Sax alone that he could have lain down and died then and there and not have been too fussed.

He slowly nodded, tightening the bandages over his blisters and hissing with pain as he tried to pull his gloves on. Those weren't going to heal anytime soon, that he could tell just by looking at them. Paige's expression brightened immediately as she realized he had been defeated, and she clapped her hands together, the rolled up length of paper tucked in her belt.

"Now isn't that easier, Toan?" the girl asked sweetly, grabbing his left hand and pulling him towards the homestead by the lake. Toan groaned, his sore feet sending sharp pains up his legs and blurring his vision. Maybe… maybe a little rest would be okay, just for this once…

"… and the Mayor, he told us that the Fairy King himself chose you to save the village! Is that really true, Toan? That's incredible! I wish the Fairy King would choose me for something as grand as saving the world! But I guess I don't have the lineage, like you do. A hero's son is always going to be another hero, right?" Paige laughed happily. Toan wished that people would stop bringing up his father. It was getting a little annoying that people thought that he had been chosen just because of who his father was.

"…so Dad said, 'Why can't we help Toan a little more?' and I was like, 'Yeah, I'll go get him' and then I come out and you're tossing swords around! Where'd you get those, anyway? Did the Macho brothers give them to you? Wow, that's amazing! I always knew the Machos had a hidden stash of weapons left over from when they used them, I knew it, Toan! Don't you remember me saying that I thought they did?"

Toan didn't have the energy to tell her that the Sax had been found in the Cave by chance, or the strength of will to claim the buster sword as spoils for slaying a monster. That would have set off more questions than he could have even ignored… he let Paige's questions slid over the top of his consciousness, not exactly ignoring them, but not really listening to them, either. The morning air was warming now, and the mist was clearing as the sun spilled onto the flat that had once been village. If Toan squinted, he thought he could see the outlines where fields had used to be, where Alnet's house had been, Odd Gaffer's cart…

He stumbled as his boots slammed into the bottom step leading up to Paige's house. Toan jerked into awareness as Paige leaned around him, giggling as he straightened his askew turban in consternation. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he'd completely forgotten where he was… and to lift his feet.

"C'mon, Toan. Dad's got _fish_ on the boil! Can't be late!" She giggled again, sliding past him and racing up the steps and into the cosy, two-storey house. Toan paused at the bottom of the steps, rubbing the toes of his sore foot with the tips of his fingers. His palms burned too much for him to touch anything properly. The small house was situated across the valley floor from the Macho residence, resting on the calm shore of the large pond. Toan, if he really _listened,_ could hear the wind over the surface of the water, the sloshing as fish moved about, the buzz of dragonflies as they basked in the heat of the new day –

" _TOAN!_ Geez, way to space out on me! Are you going to stand there looking like a fool or are you going to come inside?" Paige held the door wide open, shaking her head as if he were a lost cause. Toan reddened, suddenly feeling much deafer than he'd been before. He couldn't hear the dragonflies or fish anymore, only his own blood pounding in his ears. Toan shook his head to clear it, and jogged up the stairs.

The house was cool when he went in, the early sun streaming through the upper floor's window. It seemed… like nothing had ever happened to this place. Like it hadn't been sealed in an Atla, like it had always been backing the pond. It was all peaceful, the smell of cooking fish and bread wafting through the air like a cloud. He could feel Atlamillia's approval of what he'd done with the building. That stone seemed to thrive off positive energy…

Toan's eyes sought out the two residents of the house – Pike, a large, easy-going man and Paige's father, was at the stove, stirring something in a pot. As the door swung shut, Pike looked up with a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"Toan! Good to see you!" He rapped the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot, and then continued to stir. "By all means, take a seat and relax for a while. From what the mayor and the Machos tell me, you've been quite busy."

Toan nodded, easing himself onto the chair. Immediately, he felt sleepy and worn out. He struggled to keep his eyes open. Pike had always been like a father to him, ever since Aga had left Nolun in pursuit of adventure that could challenge his amazing sword skills. Toan wasn't even sure anymore as to why he'd been avoiding the fisherman and his daughter…

"Paige has been asking after you, what you've been up to, where you've been ever since you freed us…" He stirred the pot again, then dipped a finger into the contentedly-simmering brew and tasted it. He made a face, and added more herbs. Toan felt his cheeks flush.

_I really hadn't meant to worry you two. I just needed to get down to business –_

He snapped out of his thoughts as Paige's voice cut through the air. " _Dad!_ Pipe down about that, all right? Toan's a big boy, he can cope!"

Paige was leaning over the wooden rails that separated her bed from the living area, scowling at them both. She saw Toan staring and she flipped her braids over her shoulders, muttering something he didn't hear. Pike exploded in laughter, flicking the stove off and beginning to ladle the breakfast into a large dish, his sides still shaking with suppressed mirth. Paige threw a shoe at her father, her face beet red and twisted into a scowl.

Toan nearly sweat-dropped. Exactly why was it that he always got caught in the middle of family feuds…?

Paige darted down the stairs, past where Toan sat and whispered something very harsh and very loud in Pike's ear. Both of them gave him a glance, making Toan feel extremely uncomfortable. What were they after...?

Then Pike's face split into a huge grin.

 _Uh-oh. That grin… oh no. Did she just…?_ Toan felt an all-too familiar feeling of dread was over him. Before he could question Paige as to _what_ she'd told Pike, the two had seated themselves at the table and were scooping large bowls of creamy-sauced food into bowls and passing them around the table, Paige cutting thick slices of fresh bread and Pike passing spoons around. The smell wafted past Toan, engulfing his senses…

…and suddenly he realized he was _ravenously_ hungry. As Paige held out the glossed wooden bowl to him, he took it with both hands, ignoring the pain that shot through the blisters on his skin and scooping a large spoonful into his mouth. It tasted just as good as it smelled – he'd had no idea that anything, even Pike's cooking, could taste so good…

"Har, good, isn't it?" Pike was beaming at him, looking for all the world that he'd impressed the Mayor himself with his cooking. Paige gave Toan a puzzled look, making a disgusted face and pointing to the barely-touched bowl in front of her. She apparently didn't think it was nearly so good as Toan did.

"Gobbler from Nolun's own dam! 175 cm – that's the new record!" Pike leaned forwards in his seat excitedly. "Caught 'im at dusk yesterday. I was absolutely amazed that a mere wriggly would catch such a beauty! Had to keep that one – not only to feed my daughter and you," he laughed at that. "But also to keep the bones as evidence that I caught such a monster!" His voice was full of gusto. If there was _anything_ Pike loved more than his daughter, it was the simple pleasure of fishing. Pike was the regional champion for the Nolun region, and had held the Gobbler record of 164 cm – the very same record Komacho had tried to beat.

"And tell Komacho about _that_ 'little' record, hey?" He was still grinning broadly, ladling more fish stew into Toan's bowl as he finished. Still hungry, Toan devoured the next bowl as quickly as the first. Just merely eating seemed to ease the pain and discomfort in his tightened shoulders. Even his blisters seemed a little better…

Toan nodded absently to something Pike said. Really, he should have paid a little more attention to what felt like his extended family. They were his friends, after all.

"Ah, Toan lad! You're gonna love it! I know Paige had already suggested that I take you along fishing today, but Toan, I never thought you would!"

 _HUH?_ Toan's eyes bulged. _What did you just say? What did I agree to?_

Pike clapped his hands together, suddenly seeming like a child at the festival. "This is going to be great! I have all these wrigglies we can try – Toan! We have to see if more monster Gobblers are drawn by little wrigglies! That's what we'll do!"

Toan looked at Paige in desperation.

 _Help!_ He begged her silently. All he received in return for his efforts was an unspeakably evil grin.

 _At least it's not me!_ Her eyes seemed to say back, in between her fits of giggles.

"And Paige'll be coming along this time as well – it'll be great! A real chance for you to relax after all that work you did to free us!"

Paige's face fell in shock. It was going to be a _long_ day with Pike if fishing was all they were going to do. This, Toan knew from years of experience…

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Four** _

_**Afternoon** _

Toan… had never, ever felt so bored in his whole life as he did today. There was nothing that could ever compare with the sheer brain-numbing power of fishing – he was certain of it. He stared dully at the end of the pole he'd borrowed from Pike, the yellow and red floater bobbing slightly in the ripples on the water. The sun beat down on the three of them mercilessly, the trees Toan had place nearby calling tantalizingly, offering shade an comfort. But they were only _just_ too far away, just out of reach but close enough to press against Toan's consciousness.

 _Just a little while in the shade…_ He rolled his aching shoulders, passing the rod from blistered hand to blistered hand, wiping his sweaty forehead on the back of his glove. He winced as he imagined telling Pike that. No – the certain explosion could _not_ be worth it. There was absolutely no way –

" _Eww, Dad, put it away! Ewwww!"_ Paige squealed as Pike dropped a wriggly on her head. The man was belting out a fake maniacal laugh as he slipped one down Paige's back. The girl's eyes widened.

" _AH! DAD!"_ She looked shocked for a few seconds, slowly going paler and paler. She shivered once, and then shivered again. Almost as if dreading it, Paige reached down her back with her hand, shuddering as her fingers clenched over the offensive creature. Faster than Toan could even follow, Paige ripped her hand out from her clothing and flung the wriggly away from her and into the pond.

Toan and Pike watched the wriggly struggle to stay afloat for a few seconds as Paige stalked off in the direction of the house, ranting about having to get new clothes on. Toan glanced at her for a second before she slammed the door, and then went back to watching the wriggly. Fish bait wasn't exactly a cheap thing to lose. Should he go and get it…?

As he made to get to his feet, a dark shadow appeared out of the mud at the bottom of the pond, lurking ominously close to the still-struggling wriggly. Pike hissed something, slapping a hand against Toan's chest and knocking him off his feet again. Pike's dark eyes darted from the fish in the dam to the fishing pole. He then shook his head.

"Just leave that thing be…" he whispered harshly, the sunlight on the surface of the pond temporarily blinding Toan as he tried to see the fish again.

The long brown fish exploded out of the water, showering Toan and Pike with tiny droplets before plunging back in. Toan blinked quickly, the sleek brown fish's form seeming engraved in his memory, the sunlight glancing off the water –

" _Fairies of Terra!_ That was so _cool!_ " Pike grabbed Toan's fishing pole, quickly reeling in the bait and loading the hook with not one but _several_ wrigglies. He twirled the line about his head, muttered a short prayer to the Fairies of Terra and cast it at where the massive fish had appeared.

Toan reached out half-heartedly at the rod, but thought better of it. He was far better off without the rod.

 _It's not like I even enjoy fishing…_ He rubbed the palms of his hands together, fresh pain starting from the blisters and the overworked muscles. He glanced over to the beckoning shade of the tree. Maybe if he moved really slowly and carefully, he'd get to the tree without Pike even noticing…

"I wonder if that's the Mardan Garayan?" Pike asked softly, so quietly that at first that Toan had to do a double-take to make sure that Pike had indeed spoken. But his tone… it made Toan curious.

"What's a Mardan Garayan?"

Pike beamed at him. "A legendary fish. The very reason I first started fishing… to catch the ultimate fish, the fish that is said to bring complete happiness to he who catches it." The man nodded to himself, as if reaffirming the story.

"It… got you to start fishing?" Toan hadn't considered – ever – that Pike had actually started fishing. He'd just figured Pike was born with a fishing pole in one hand and bait in the other.

"Aye. It was Gaffer – Fairies look after his Alta – who told me about the Mardan and the man who nearly caught it." Pike's eyes fixed onto the bobbing yellow and red float, and he seemed to be remembering…

"It was a desert man – a Sand Warrior, down in Muska Racka. He threw in some random bait he found – I can't remember whether it was a potato cake or some sort of fruit – and suddenly his line when tight and there was a massive fish in the water! He fought with the fish for fifteen days and fifteen nights, neither giving in to one another!" Pike told his story – as odd as it was – with a relish. "Then disaster struck. The line _snapped._ " The fisherman's tone was shocked, like it was the worst horror that could befall anyone.

_Why didn't he die of starvation?_

Logic, apparently, had no place in this story.

"The fish got away, scot-free and the Sand Warrior dedicated the rest of his days to catching the elusive Mardan. He died not three years ago, shunned by his tribe for giving up the warrior's path to chase a life of fishing. So I hear, anyway. But hearing that story made me want to catch that fish that leads to everlasting happiness. Just to keep the old coot's memory alive, you know? And the legend's right!" Pike barked a laugh, clapping Toan over the shoulders. "The Mardan did lead to happiness! It led me to fishing!"

Toan had to grin. Pike… was always Pike. Easy going, and happy with what he had. The fisherman didn't want or _need_ the Mardan for happiness. He had everything he wanted in Nolun.

"Why don't you go sit in the shade for a bit, hey Toan? Wouldn't want you to get sunstroke on me, huh." Pike turned back to stare at the water's depths, his entire attention fixed on the rippling surface.

Toan nodded gratefully. Shade felt like such a wonderful idea… a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he ducked under the tree's heavily foliaged branches, and he slumped against the scarred wooden bark. His head was pounding and his skin felt hot and tight from being in the sun so long without respite –

"He told you the Mardan Garayan tale, didn't he?" A voice asked. Toan jerked into awareness, staring first at a pair of boots, then at the owner of the boots. Paige was grinning, her braids dangling over her shoulders.

Toan nodded, unable to get his throat working. The Mardan story, that was it – _why was his head feeling so scrambled with her looking down at him like that?_

Paige sighed, sitting beside him. "And I've heard _that_ story a thousand and one times already. I swear, every time I hear it, it gets more and more ridiculous."

Toan made a noise in his throat that he hoped was somewhat neutral. He didn't want either the usually easy-going Pike or the hot tempered Paige to explode at him today. Especially when he was unarmed. But that story seemed to be rattling over and over in his head. What was the bait Pike had said? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just _try_ to catch the Mardan –

Paige grinned at him again, as if able to see the turmoil inside just by looking at his face. "My advice – don't worry about it. It's just a stupid fisherman's tale, after all!"

Toan paused, considering it. It felt better than wondering if he could catch the Mardan Garayan.

_Just a fisherman's tale._


	5. Atlamillia's Hunter

_**Forest Keeper Utan's Grove** _

_**Nine Days since Rebirth** _

_**Dusk** _

Seda stepped back from the fallen form of the forest keeper that had so foolishly challenged him. Sticky, dark blood dripped off the large blade clenched in his white-knuckled hand, falling to the leaf-littered grove floor. The air was quiet now, the bellows of rage Utan had uttered upon seeing a challenger gone, leaving the forest strangely calm.

He slowly sheathed the Atonement at his side, his hands seeming to shake. He ignored them, his eyes shifting down to the still maddened gaze of Utan. The giant ape was beaten for now, but the Dark Genie's taint – like a foul stench on the air – still stained his aura. Perhaps only the power of Atlamillia could knock the creature from this horrific state.

 _Atlamillia._ He could feel Simba's magic getting closer, more concentrated with every step he took. It was hard not to notice it. Simba… the last time he'd seen Simba had been so long ago, right before everything had gone to hell and back with the Dark Genie. He wondered what Simba would say – maybe another _"I told you so, Seda."_

If that was the case, then frankly, Seda wouldn't be able to stomach another meeting with the Fairy.

The light filtered through the branches, patches of orange-tinted light flowing to the ground in gentle streams. Night was coming, and the forest seemed strangely subdued. Red eyes of werewolves glared hatefully at him from the dark recesses of the forests, pockles were silent…

Seda felt himself smile. They weren't… afraid of him, were they?

They should feel utter _terror_ at his approach. Mere _creatures,_ never knowing the sheer _power_ that he had wielded…

"Seda!" A voice commanded, shattering the quiet, the calm and the silver-haired man's train of thought. Seda whirled, drawing Atonement in a flash and baring his teeth, holding the naked steel threateningly out before him.

An old man with a long staff was looking at him quite calmly, dressed in traditional yellow robes and a large hat –

Seda frowned. _The Fairy King._ But it wasn't the same fire-haired man he'd known – no, it was someone much different, but somehow much more familiar…

" _Simba?!"_ It exploded from him as shock briefly overpowered his senses. Simba… _he looked so old._ And he was the Fairy King now! What had happened in the last…? He slowly sheathed his sword.

Simba nodded, his moustaches wavering gently in the wind. "It is good to see you, Seda. What brings you to this place – this _time?_ Have you not wreaked enough havoc?" The old Fairy's eyes were serious. Seda smirked and spread his hands.

"Ah, but Simba, that is what I am here for." He looked up at the sky, darkness beginning to stain the burnished red and yellow clouds streaking the stratosphere. "Atonement."

When he looked back down again, Simba's face was grave, the lines on his skin deepened by thought.

"You are after Atlamillia." The Fairy King stated softly. The wind almost carried away his words before Seda could hear them.

"Bingo." Seda's smirk deepened. At least this was getting somewhere for a change. All the other Fairies he'd met since coming to this time had all been quite unhelpful.

"Now," he held out a hand as a gesture of peace, even as the other rested on the hilt of Atonement. He would find redemption… no matter whom he had to cleave in half to get there. "You will tell me where I can find the legendary stone. Or your reign as Fairy King ends _here and now!"_

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Ten** _

_**Morning** _

Toan felt the usual rush of warmth infuse his body as the pieces of his lost village rushed into Atlamillia from the Atla. Atlamillia loved to absorb the power of the Atla… but this time, it wasn't just the stone's influence that made him feel so… _alive._

After days of searching, trawling the caves non-stop, he'd finally found his house. All of that stress and worry was gone, as if lifted from his shoulders. His home – his mother – was all right. It was more than he'd ever dared to hope. He'd been so sure he'd seen his house explode in fire, so certain he'd heard his mother's dying screams as the hateful flames engulfed her. But… they were okay.

He sheathed the buster sword in his belt, angling it carefully so that he didn't stab himself in the leg. One of these days he had to get a sheath made for these swords. One at least big enough to house the Sax. He couldn't run around the dungeons with such a large blade balanced on one shoulder, he looked as ridiculous as Macho would in a festival dress. The Sax was stored back at the Macho's house, safely wrapped in cloth to prevent accidents. But Toan hadn't been out of the Divine Beast Cave since the day before last, according to what he felt from Atlamillia.

 _I wonder if Paige misses me?_ He jogged to the next open cavern, the air cool and calm, the only sound the torches burning and the dust Toan crunched underfoot. So far, he'd encountered little resistance from the monsters in the cave, not since the failed ambush and the duel with the Master Jacket. Toan still shivered to remember it. The desperation in his soul felt too keen, the intensity of a one-on-one planned battle almost too much for him to bear. He did not relish the thought of another duel.

 _Thank Terra I haven't had to since._ He peered around the ledge of rock nearly closing over the entrance to the next cavern, squinting to see through the darkness. He didn't need Atlamillia to know that there were monsters shuffling in the blackness beyond. He let out a shaky breath, pressing himself further against the cool rock. If he judged correctly, the Atla he could feel just beyond this rock wall would be the last he needed, then he could emerge into the light.

…he kind of missed the feel of wind on his skin, the feeling of relaxed muscles, of utter calm and just being able to listen to the wind. But lately, the world had seemed so… _noisy._ It was hard to explain, considering that the only members of the village around were the Machos, Paige, Pike and the Mayor. That felt kind of odd…

Toan closed his eyes, drawing the buster sword. One… last… time… until _next_ he went into the Divine Beast Cave. Who'd have thought he'd dread the thought of entering the once holy abode of Dran? But the thought that this would be the last time, for a while yet, made him happy. Almost relaxed him. Almost.

The buster sword's weight was comforting in his palms as he passed the weapon from hand to hand, trying to devise a strategy that would get him in and out with the Atla's contents as quickly as possible. Atlamillia's whispering of magic told him all he needed to know: a dasher towards the back of the cavern, a stonedog slumbering just near the entrance – right near the Atla, Toan surmised with a sigh – and two skeleton soldiers. Not exactly an easy act, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to dive head first into a cave full of monsters…

There was another presence in there. Non-mutated. Normal. But what?

 _Seriously, I need to just get out of here. Do it fast, do it well. Simple enough. Just… fight._ He lifted the buster sword and stepped out from behind the wall of stone.

The dog-like monster sensed him first, the chunk of stone unfolding to become the large, bulky hound Toan had come to despise. The stone dog let out a feral growl as it began to shift it's ill-cut legs, closing the gap fairly rapidly for a large chunk of rock. Toan held the buster sword steady, watching the monster approach, letting himself focus on the dog. A thrill of excitement ran through him. On the edge of his awareness, he heard the pad of feet over dust as the other monsters realized that an enemy was among them.

The dog snarled as it came within striking distance, rearing back to strike at the boy who had so foolishly challenged it – only Toan never let it get that far. Steel flashed in the dim torchlight, sparks flew as steel grated on rock. Toan stepped back from the deathly still monster, deftly sprinkling some repair powder on his damaged blade, but otherwise looking as if he'd never confronted the monster.

The Stone Dog collapsed in a heap, and his heart racing, Toan whirled just in time to catch a chipped blade on the buster sword's edge, and threw the skeleton soldier back into the other with all his strength. The two monsters collided, but sadly remained alive. The boy readied his blade, daring the skeletons to take him on. Then he felt something soft brush against his leg.

"What the –" Ton stumbled backwards with a startled yelp, nearly tripping over the poor creature that had taken refuge behind him. He quickly glanced down just as the creature darted right back behind him.

 _The cat… figures._ He gave the patched brown cat a smile, and looked back at the slowly advancing skeletons.

"Heh heh, you think you can take us on with a pretty stone and a knife?" One of the skeletons snickered. Toan sighed. Not this _again…_

The other skeleton's glowing red orbs must have noticed the boy's slight frustration, because it raised it's sword and opened it's mouth to speak – when it felt something gooey and wet trailing down it's cheek.

Toan stepped back with a smirk, tossing his remaining gooey peach up and down in one hand, watching the skeletons give one another confused looks. Then they tried to attack, blades arcing down and across to cleave Toan's heart straight from his chest. The boy sidestepped one small sword, parried the other, then lopped the head of the nearest skeleton off with a flick of the Buster Sword. The creature collapsed in a heap, red eyes going dim, the light slowly fading from their depths until blackness only remained.

Toan smiled at the cat still crouched safely behind him, and then turned to the remaining skeleton as the effects of the gooey peach wore off.

The skeleton actually looked nervous as it threw aside its weapon. "Hey man, sorry, didn't know you were _that_ guy…" it raised its bony hands up in the air… and bizarrely enough it fled.

Toan felt a sweat drop roll down his forehead. Talk about a cowardly monster…

Turning to the cat still sheltered behind him, Toan smiled again and crouched beside it. The feline was trembling slightly as Toan offered a gloved hand to it. Slowly, he reached out to run a hand down its patched brown sides –

A riot of emotions exploded into his mind as his fingers came into contact with the smooth brown fur. _Panic, fear, terror, hunger, panic, suspicion, panic, curiosity_ – all of them burst into his soul like an invading army took over a castle. Toan froze, his eyes going wide – and he snatched his hand back.

It was when the cat turned to go, however, that Toan could have sworn it was almost smiling at him.

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Ten** _

_**Afternoon** _

Beads of sweat rolled down Toan's face as he dragged himself, bone-tired, starving and filthy, from the Divine Beast Cave and into the harsh afternoon light. The buster sword was heavy in his right hand, and oddly, Atlamillia weighed down his right hand.

The sun beat down…

His shoulders strained across the back as he struggled to keep his hand from dragging on the ground, his eyes were bleary with exhaustion, his stomach empty and his throat parched. Heat seemed to make the air around him shimmer mercilessly, warping the three residential houses that had only so recently been constructed.

 _Just… a little further Toan…_ He had to lean on the buster sword for a second. _Just a little further, a little longer, and you'll have your home back… then you can rest._

Swallowing, he trudged towards the centre of the town. That was where he usually off-loaded the contents of Atlamillia… usually.

The sun beat down, and Toan could already feel the skin of his face and arms burning. He stumbled as his vision blurred more viciously, and he was forced to stop.

_Just a little further… you can do it…_

The sun beat down.

Toan fell to his knees, gasping as he dropped the buster sword to the ground beside him.

 _Too far._ For too long he'd pushed himself. For too long he'd been wandering that cave with little supplies. Oblivion tugged like a wilful child at the edge of his awareness, and every second it was growing into something he couldn't hope to control.

The boy stretched out a trembling hand before him. There was one last thing he could do though…

His home, his mother, everything he knew and loved streamed from Atlamillia, bleeding from the stone. Toan's last remaining energy fled with it.

He vaguely heard someone cry his name in panic as darkness overwhelmed him.

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Eleven** _

_**Morning** _

The very first thing Toan was aware of was the feeling of being wrapped in softness – not a smothering softness, just a cool, comforting one.

 _Comforting…_ Toan began to drift back towards sleep, but something _else_ began teasing his curiosity. The sound of hammers, laughter, the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven… Where – where _was_ he?

He sat up with a jerk, wincing as his neck cracked at the sudden movement. As he rubbed the sore spot on his spine, he looked around.

He was in the loft-turned-bedroom of a high-ceilinged house, the battered wooden railings around the area there to prevent any accidents, the walls painted white and light streaming in through open shutters… Toan took in a shaky breath.

 _It... it's home._ He almost couldn't believe it. That instant he saw his house – his whole _life –_ explode in white light, something in him felt like it had died. A weight had been lifted from him. Maybe now that he could save his home and family, he could save his whole village. And if he could save his village, why not the next village? Or the next? Or the one after that? Why wouldn't he be able to stop the Dark Genie, if he did all of that?

He quickly wiped the dampness from his eyes as he heard footsteps creaking up the wooden stairs to the loft and looked up.

His mother's warm brown eyes, her gentle smile, her entire _person –_ it was all Toan could take. He broke down, crying for the lives he thought were lost, for the horrors he witnessed that balmy festival night, the fearsome battles he'd fought in the days since then… He wept, and his mother comforted him with soft reassurances that she wasn't gone, that everything was coming back… that everything would be alright in the end.

* * *

If anyone would understand what Toan felt at that moment, it was Renee.

As the wife of – arguably – the greatest warrior in living memory, the great Aga, Renee has experienced more than her fair share of life on the road, fighting on the edge and living off a slice of bread and a sip of water a day. It was what she'd done for a living before settling down in her home village.

After all, on top of being Aga's wife, she was his partner in battle – his _ally._ They'd fought hoards of pockles together, hunted the Great Serpent, met the sand-blasted warriors of Muska Racka, witnessed the devastating technologies of the East. They'd even encountered something Aga had called a Demon Shaft, but they had both agreed against entering such a dark place…

Toan, for all his youth and innocence, still reminded her of her long lost husband at that age. Full of curiosity, spurred on by a never-ending energy supply, and eager to get out and make his place in the world. Only… holding her sobbing son in her arms, she realized that somewhere during the space that she had been gone, he'd lost that drive.

Her son, as she'd brought him up to be, would do his duty for his people, whether it mean helping an old lady carry supplies from Odd Gaffer's buggy to her home, or to saving the world. Maybe that was why the Fairy King had involved _her_ son. She… didn't like it. Something had happened to her Toan, something that that stone in his left hand was responsible for.

She smoothed her son's dark hair back from his tear-streaked face and kissed his cheek, folding her arms more tightly about him. The boy clung to her, using the last reserves of his strength to stay close.

Renee didn't have to like fate picking out her son and taking him to a place where she could not follow and protect him. She didn't have to like it, but she'd be damned by all the Fairies of Terra if she let her only son – Aga's son – do it alone.

* * *

Toan felt like they sat like that for hours as his tears slowly dried, as his chest began to ache from his sobs, his body slowly recovering from all it had been through. Toan's cries quietened, and he felt a kind of peace settle over him. A release from the worry and the stress, and he calmed.

Renee seemed to sense the change in her son, because she released him, holding him at arms length so she could see his face. Her warm eyes nearly broke Toan again. But instead of crying, he strengthened himself. Everything was okay now. There was no need for any more tears.

"Now, Toan," his mother said softly. "Why don't you tell me what's happened?"

So Toan did, told her of the night at the festival as he tried to save Paige from certain death, white fire that rained from the skies, and waking up in a strange place with an old, old man. The man, calling himself the Fairy King, gave him the stone in his left hand, gave him the powers to restore the world and defeat the evil of the Dark Genie. How he was supposed to do that, Toan didn't know – he said as much to Renee, who merely nodded thoughtfully.

He told her of the help the Machos had given him in the dungeons, of the hospitality Paige and Pike had shared with him. The boy told his mother of the duel, of receiving the Sax and buster sword, recounted the battles in excruciating detail. Like a compulsion, he felt he had to offer up every single piece of his soul, every single detail. Maybe he wanted to be forgiven for all he had done, to be given permission for all he would have to do. Maybe.

As the mother examined the cuts and burns running up the length of her son's arms, she quietly told him of salves and potions that would make the healing of those injuries faster and more efficient – and maybe not even leave a scar. Renee's fingers were gentle as they felt over the scabs and bruises, and even while they hurt, Toan felt… happy.

He had his mother back.

Toan was explaining the book of Aga's that the Machos had given him, and the training exercises designed specifically for the Sax and buster sword, when Paige craned into view. The girl cleared her throat nervously as she glanced at Toan. The boy slowly wiped his reddened, slightly damp eyes with his ungloved hands and nodded to her. Paige's relief was tangible to Toan's senses, dizzying in their complexity and intensity.

"Renee, my dad and the Machos are done installing the storage cupboard and fixing up the chimney… Dad wants to know if there's anything else they need to do before lunch."

Toan felt his mother jump in shock.

"Dear Terra, we _have_ been up here a long time, Toan!" Renee laughed, slowly getting to her feet. "Coming down for some lunch, Toan?"

Hesitation tore at him. Did he really want to see Pike, Komacho and Macho, so soon after he'd cried so hard?

Renee seemed to understand. "Paige, would you please tell your father I'll be right down? I have to give him a special thankyou for doing all he's done."

"Sure thing!" The young girl bobbed her head in agreement, but gave Toan a smile. "You be down quick, y'hear, Toan?"

Toan hesitated again, unsure. Then he nodded.

Paige's grin grew wider, and she left in a flash of cream skirt and a whirl of dark plats.

Renee sighed, smoothing out her brown skirt as she smiled after the lively young girl. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without Pike. Such a helpful, giving man…" Toan's mother then looked at Toan – the most directly she'd looked at her son all day. "Toan… don't you ever feel lonely here, with just us?"

With an almighty stutter, Toan's heart stopped.

 _WHAT?_ He felt like he was choking.

Renee turned to go, treading softly on the stairs down to the kitchen. Toan could hear a man's voice – _Pike's_ voice – talking to her as she went down, asking after her son, asking if he could help any more…

_Is… mum going to have… are she and Pike… together?_

The thought, as selfish as it was, made him angry. Atlamillia glinted in the light, seeming to echo his anger. Was that fish-mad man going to marry his mother, take her away? What about his dad? Who _cared_ if Aga simply left one day for Matataki Village and never came back? There was still a chance that his dad could come back! And he needed his mother now more than ever…

Toan glanced about for his clothing, snagged his spare poncho and turban from the hooks beside his bed and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the buster sword and pulled it from the cloth wrappings his mother had placed it in. He needed to get out of the house and think, away from his mother, Paige, Macho, Komacho, _Pike…_ Sure he liked the man, but he didn't want him as a _dad!_ That would be just… odd.

And annoying. He didn't need a father, he'd lived thirteen years without one!

The buster sword was heavy in his hand, weighing down on the savage blisters over his palms. Atlamillia glowed slightly, supporting his every wish, his every thought. The mental suggestion of the Divine Beast Cave formed in his mind.

_The cave…? I'm exhausted still, I've only just been there…_

The suggestion became more insistent.

_Well, I – I suppose… Couldn't hurt to let off a little steam by myself, it doesn't have to get too serious…_

Atlamillia's approval was all the persuasion he needed to pull on his boots and warp into the Divine Beast Cave. He didn't tell his mother where he was going. After all, he'd be back in time for dinner…

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Eleven** _

_**Dusk** _

Not-so-serious quickly turned from fun slashing at weaker monsters in the upper levels of the cavern into a savage ritual of anger and destruction, monsters falling before his blade again, again and again. When Toan slashed, a monster fell. Toan had parried and swept in the blade for a lower cut, a monster fell. He'd hit three monsters with a whirling hack, not even stopping to collect the bounty the creatures left behind as they died. For every monster he killed, Atlamillia's approval became stronger, willing him on, urging him to go further, deeper, faster into the unknown caverns.

Atlamillia's blood-red light stained Toan's face as he halted the nicked axe of a statue mere inches from his nose. With what felt like an inhuman effort, he ducked in under the long pole and rammed the buster sword between the steel plates and into the back evil within the walking armour. With a sudden surge of understanding, his thoughts sent a burst of pink light into the blackness.

The statue crumbled, lance and armour crashing to the floor – it seemed to _want_ to make the biggest noise possible. Toan pivoted, his eyes blazing and the buster sword ready.

He straightened slightly, sheathing the buster sword and allowing a thread of confusion to penetrate the haze of anger.

He was alone. Monsters should be a constant companion – at least, this deep in the cave, they should be. Then again, perhaps they'd been frightened off by the red glow of Atlamillia. With a start, he looked down at the stone on his wrist.

 _Blue._ Like it had never been the colour of freshly-shed blood. It was dormant, calm, just a rock on his hand.

Like it was hiding.

"Well done, making it here."

Toan whirled again at the cold voice, drawing the buster sword. The familiar weight stung his blisters through his gloves, but it was a good, reassuring pain.

It was a man – tall, silver-haired… and menacing. Not the brutal maliciousness of the monsters Toan had encountered so far, but something darker and far more dangerous. He looked like a trained warrior, battle-hardened and confident that the corded muscles of his bared arms would not fail him, that they would use the massive sword in his left hand to destroy all enemies.

The silver-haired man took a step towards Toan, his blade glinting in the torchlight.

"I had a good look at your ability in fighting…" The man trailed off, taking another step in Toan's direction. "Or maybe it was just that stone on your left arm?" There was a knowing smirk on his face.

Toan took an uneasy step back. "Who are you?" He demanded in a hoarse voice. This man just turned up from nowhere and started insulting him! Didn't this man see that he was trying to save the world?

The silver man continued, as if Toan hadn't said a word. "No doubt, that is the legendary Atlamillia. A treasure from the Gods that only the worthy can possess." His hand swept the cave, as if to show the greatness of the power, then clenched into a fist when he noticed Toan again.

"Hard to believe you are worthy of it, but that's not the issue here. Would you be so kind as to hand it over to me?" It wasn't a request, for all false manners and phrasing.

Toan stared at the stone.

 _A treasure from the gods…_ Toan blinked. He supposed that was correct. After all, it did come from the Fairy King. It came from a being who had entrusted _him_ with the task of restoring the world. Not because he was a great fighter, or Aga's son… but… what had it been that the Fairy King had told him?

" _Young man… I see that you have a strong will that could withstand the evil power. And also a clear, kind heart. You might be able to fight against the darkness it generates."_

His voice shook as he looked back from the blue, dulled stone to the silver-haired man.

"Sorry, sir…" His grip tightened reflexively on the hilt of the buster sword. "I was entrusted with this power, and I have a… a responsibility to see to it that it is used for its in-intended purpose."

He was expected a slash, a quick exchange of blows that would decide who lived and took the stone and who failed. Anything but the harsh laughter that came, echoing off the cavern walls and rolling around the cave, as if hundred of silver-haired men were laughing at him.

"I see…" Suddenly, the laughter halted, the echoes stopped. Toan was unnerved by the man's icy gaze. "So you intend to use that stone to restore the world. A noble goal…"

Toan knew there had to be a 'but' coming.

"But, even if you restore the world, the destruction could repeat itself, unless you defeat the Dark Genie."

This Toan knew, but hadn't really thought about beyond a few night-terrors. He frowned.

The man snorted, taking another step forward. "Unfortunately such a task is beyond your abilities. It is a being powerful enough to destroy the world in an instant. No weapon or man can stand it and face it alone…" He spoke in a deadened voice, the voice of one who knew from first-hand.

 _How could that be?!_ Toan's mind buzzed. _Wasn't the last time the Dark Genie rose over four hundred years ago?_

"My name is…" He paused, obviously rethinking. "No, _you,_ boy, may call me Seda. I've come to this place, or rather this _time_ … for that stone…" Seda's eyes had closed, as if praying for the patience to deal with the spry little upstart who dared refuse his 'request'.

"I need that stone. More than you do, actually. There is a great deal about that stone that you don't _comprehend_ yet." Seda took another threatening step towards Toan. The boy glanced down at the blue stone and readied himself for the inevitable attack…

Seda's face contorted, and he doubled over, groaning deep in his throat. Toan stumbled back at the sudden and unexpected movement, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Arghhhh…" Seda struggled to stand, his massive blade trembling in his weakening grip. Violently, he threw back his head and howled in agony, dark cloud seeming to rush into his body at an enormous speed. Toan blinked in shock, and suddenly they were gone… if they were ever there at all.

Toan backed away warily, swinging the buster sword back into a guard. He watched as Seda's screams slowly died down… and unbelievably, the silver-haired man straightened, dusting off his clothes contemptuously, then looked directly at the boy.

Toan nearly turned and fled.

Seda's eyes… they were red, angry… like a snake's. He almost heard Atlamillia hiss in his mind, before it once again died down. It felt afraid…

The man – or whatever it was – laughed coarsely. "Pardon me." It said with Seda's voice. Perhaps it was just the man's buried malice, a split personality… somehow, Toan doubted that it could be explained away like that.

The man continued in a pleasant tone of voice, a direct contrast to the snarl he wore on his face. "I do ramble sometimes. Well, if you will not hand over the stone willingly… then I have no choice"

Seda raised his sword. A smirk played on his lips for a moment.

"…Let's see what you can do… _As the one supposedly entitled to the stone!"_

He slashed the air aggressively to steady his muscles, and leaped up, intent on bringing Atonement in a flashing arc of steel to cut Toan in two. The boy rolled away, and held the buster sword held at the ready as he steadied himself.

Toan's mind raced as he struggled to find room to maneuver.

 _What speed…! I only just avoided that attack…_ Fear stabbed at him painfully. _What happens when he's warmed up?!_

Seda straightened, his lip curling in a sneer – Toan had just enough time to jump back before the massive blade buried itself in the ground where Toan had been only half a heartbeat before.

The boy felt a flash of triumph. It was buried deep! That _had_ to give him enough time to swing in for the decisive blow!

Seda lifted the sword with a sickening ease, and advanced on the boy again. Metal flashed in the torchlight, and whether by gut instinct or by Atlamillia, Toan ducked the horizontal slash and noted out the corner of his eyes the change in direction the silver-haired man was giving the blade. It was clear now. This man was no rabid Dasher. He was a trained killer.

He was ready when Seda reversed the cut and crouched down low for a sweeping movement that would have shortened Toan's height from his knees down. Toan yelped, jumping over the blade and turned his disastrous landing from a fall into a roll.

It gave him room for a bit of a breather – a short one though, Toan thought as he heaved himself to his knees. Seda hardly looked fazed by the swordplay. Toan felt like he'd been stampeded by a herd of wild llama.

The man whirled around, holding his sword out daringly, taunting Toan.

Toan straightened. He was ready – and prepared to wait for the hardened warrior's attack.

Seda smirked, lowering his blade for a moment. "Come and get me, boy."

Toan was a little old for dares and schoolyard games, but something about Seda's _arrogance_ …

The boy darted in, swinging for Seda's shoulder, feeling his shoulders jar as Seda intercepted the blade. Toan recoiled quickly, bringing the blade whipping over in an overhand slash for his foe's side. The warrior blocked almost contemptuously.

The resulting roundhouse kick sent Toan flying across the dungeon floor. Seda straightened and smirked again, his red eyes cold as ice.

Toan's ribs felt cracked, his head seemed to be vibrating all on its own… gritting his teeth, he stumbled to his feet, trying to ignore the cries of pain his body warned him with.

Seda lowered his blade, uncurling a hand from the decorative hilt and raising it. He seemed… _amused._ Toan had been entirely out of his league when it came to this strange man.

Unbelievably, instead of striking Toan down once and for all, Seda spoke. His tone, like his entire demeanor, was entertained.

"Hmm, you did quite well… for a little boy." His lip curled. "How's this, then? Can you wriggle your way out of this, little boy?"

A sinister purple light began to gather at his palm, seeming to feed off the dark energies infusing the Divine Beast Cave and growing larger, larger…

_Like the beams that destroyed my village!_

Toan's eyes went wide as he backed away. Sorcery…! Not the benign kind like the Fairy King's, but a destructive magic that was focusing at _him…_

Something warm and furry bumped against his ankle. Toan's head whipped around in panic, his heart in his throat, until he saw the small, brown cat he'd encountered a number of times in the cave. It was trembling, waiting for inevitable death.

He could feel its fear, raw and powerful. He could feel hopelessness – something inside him galvanized, like it had on the night of Nolun's destruction… Toan nodded to the cat, and though he was afraid, he would do his duty.

_To protect the world, and everything in it._

_I'll take the blast for you, and hope I live to see another day._

Toan turned back to Seda, the purple light at the man's hand now a blinding white in its intensity. He couldn't shield his eyes, just kept his trembling hands on the hilt of the buster sword.

The beam shot towards Toan, roaring through the air, he could suddenly smell burning dust and hair and smoldering fabric – he thought he felt Atlamillia – and then he was gingerly picking himself up off the ground, his ribs on fire, blood dripping from his mouth as he once again stumbled to his feet. The leather of his gloves were slightly scorched, and some of his poncho was smoking.

Footsteps crunched through the rubble as Seda strode confidently towards him, sword in hand, intent on claiming his prize.

Toan wiped the blood from his mouth and glanced behind him. The cat? He saw the small creature, peering about itself uncertainly.

_Good…_

He felt the cold edge of Seda's blade on his skin.

"Hmph, you amuse me boy. You can't even handle an attack as meagre as this?" The silver-haired man asked scornfully, looking as amused as he claimed.

Toan looked up at him wordlessly, his mind racing. How did the man intend to take the stone? Cut his arm off? Dig it out of his flesh? Or was he hoping that the stone would release its hold on Toan with the boy's death? It was all possible. It was all gruesome.

"You _cannot_ be worthy of the stone…" Seda trailed off, staring at something behind Toan. A strange sound came from the man's throat, harsh and foreign at first, but slowly growing and growing until…

Seda was _laughing._

"It's not that you couldn't dodge… You simply didn't dodge… Deliberately." He chortled again, as if it was all a grand joke. "Fine then."

The blade at Toan's throat lowered quickly, and the man looked down, considering the boy.

"That's it for today. I think I'm… beginning to see why the Fairies chose you." Another of those smirks. "It will be amusing to see how well you do."

Without another word, Seda pivoted and began to walk away. Toan's head spun dizzyingly with relief. He was… alive. He almost hadn't believed he'd make it through the battle and live to see another day. Not after that blast… Toan tried to take a deep breath, but his the pain in his ribs stabbed, unforgiving, at his lungs.

"I will offer you some free information though."

Toan looked up. Seda was still there – he'd turned around again. For one frightening moment, Toan thought Seda might come back and finish him off. But the large sword – a blade even bigger than the Sax – was lowered and unthreatening.

"You _cannot_ defeat the Dark Genie even with that stone. Not yet. If you have even a vague desire to defeat it you must become stronger. And I have a gift for you." The silver-haired warrior tossed a bottle to Toan dismissively. "Have that little one return the favor. See you soon."

And like a candle being blown out in a dark room, the dangerous stranger was gone, and Toan was alone with a cat and a… bottle.

Toan lifted the gift, studying it with a critical eye. It _looked_ like a flask – almost like a flask of whisky. But who knew what was inside? Poison? Acid? A drug that would send him to sleep forever? If it weren't for the man's comment and the yellowed, peeling label on front, Toan would have thrown it into an underground spring and left it to rust.

His finger traced the label again… _changing potion._

 _Little one?_ His eyes rested on the thin, patched form of the cat. A big shiny bell was tied around the creature's neck, and it stared adoringly up at Toan with big brown eyes. Toan stared at the cat for a while, his fingers wrapped around the potion. The cat entwined itself around the boy's tired legs a few times, mewed loudly and ran a few steps away.

Toan started after it. What if it got hurt again? If it ran into a Skeleton Soldier it would be mince meat!

The cat glowed… and was suddenly encased in an Atla.

It was then that Toan had a brilliant idea.

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Eleven** _

_**Morning** _

Toan lay in bed, staring at the roof, almost reliving his fight with Seda in the depths of his mind, seeing just how out-classed he had been to a fully-trained warrior. His hand nearly twitched to the hilt of the Sax – the only thing that stopped him from training now was Renee's insistence that he needed rest, and that she would take any and all swords he used until he was given the all clear by _her._

Renee had taken it upon herself to see that her son recovered to fighting status.

A small, warm body was curled up beside him – carefully avoiding the salved burns on his arms and hands, and his cracks ribs – keeping him company and just being there for him. Toan propped himself up on an elbow and stroked the stray cat's patched, dust-brown fur. She was a pretty thing, his new _Xiao._ He'd never seen a cat that was as faithful and loving. Generally, he reserved that description for dogs!

He'd had just enough time and energy to interface with Atlamillia's bizarre consciousness and place the stray's Atla in the area reserved for his home before he fell asleep, and when he woke up, Renee had deposited the 'newest member of the household' on Toan's bed and told him to name his pet.

_Xiao._

The cat looked up, brown eyes gleaming in the light. Her eyes…

_They… they seem to want to tell me something. _

But what? What could a cat tell him? What use _was_ a cat to a boy who now had to fight a being of utmost evil?

 _Little one… did he mean…?_ Toan's eyes fell on the bottle so _kindly_ given to him by Seda. _Can he really mean…?_

Hesitantly, Toan reached out for the small flask of potion, forcing himself to ignore the trembling in his hands. The bottle was light, and the boy could hear a liquid sloshing about inside when he shook it. Xiao watched him, her eyes oddly intent, even for a cat's. Toan spared a moment to scratch her behind the ears, then went back to regarding the strange bottle. A changing potion… but what did it change?

Toan quickly unscrewed the lid of the flask and raised the neck to his nose and give the suspicious mixture a sniff. He gagged as the mixture assaulted his senses, making his head spin. He felt bile rising in his throat and he dropped the bottle.

Xiao yowled in protest as the black liquid sloshed over her and her master's arm. Toan felt the liquid burning into his skin, and with a yelp he grabbed the glass of water he usually kept by the bed and splashed it over his limb. The cat bolted off the bed in terror – and a light enveloped her tiny body. Toan had to look away as the light became too bright for his eyes.

Something a lot bigger than Xiao hit the floor with strangled " _Oof"._

Toan stared wordlessly at his pet cat, his mouth slowly falling open. Of all the strange things that had happened lately, this one would have to be at the top… He closed his mouth, swallowed, and looked Xiao up and down.

Xiao was no longer a cat, so to speak. Sure, she had long, furry ears, clawed hands, a small, dark nose, long canines that were bared in a happy grin at this very moment. The similarities ended _there._ She was essentially a human, for all that a brown-striped tail poked out the back of her dust-brown smock.

 _Oh dear… what have_ _I done?_

"What…? What's this?!"

Toan froze, his eyes going wide. Did Xiao just…? He supposed it made sense. It was just that he'd never expected to hear his pet cat actually talking.

Xiao was twirling about, trying to see all of her new body at once. Her eyes were just as wide as Toan, but just a little more accepting. "Woah, I'm like, totally human!"

Slowly, she slowed down, maybe getting a little dizzy. She fixed her large brown – and still adoring – eyes on the baffled boy that sat on the bed.

"Wow, how did you do it? Master, are you a wizard?" Xiao leaned in close and gave Toan an experimental sniff, her tail twitching slightly as she took a step back. Toan watched her wordlessly, then shook his head. No, he wasn't a wizard… just a kid with enough dumb luck to sink a ship.

The hybrid girl frowned for a second, looking almost as if she was about to disagree with Toan for a moment, but then shrugged. "Oh well, never mind. Well, anyways… Xiao wants to help master with the adventure!"

Toan immediately motioned a 'hell no!'. "Xiao, what I'm doing isn't safe."

Xiao nodded vigorously. "I watched Master fighting the fiends in the cave, everyday." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I saw how often Master got into trouble. I helped as much as I could… but Xiao's old form wasn't very good for that. Please, can I? Please, please, please?! Say yes, say yes!"

Toan rested his suddenly aching head in his hands. For a creature that wasn't able to talk ten minutes ago, Xiao could chatter the legs off an iron pot. Likely, the only thing that would get her to leave him alone was to agree… he gave a reluctant nod into his palms, almost hoping that she'd miss it.

A futile hope. By Xiao's celebratory yowls, she'd seen it.


	6. Bandit Boy

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Thirteen** _

_**Morning** _

Toan sleepily wandered down the stairs to the loft, yawning and rubbing his sandy eyes with a knuckle. Xiao pounced down the stairs after him, negotiating the steep drop easily and landing lightly on the tips of her toes. Toan looked over his shoulder at the hybrid now eagerly picking up everything off the nearby shelf and giving it an experimental sniff, and sighed. Xiao seemed to have a _lot_ of energy.

 _Kind of like a four-year old taken to the playground,_ Toan mused groggily, _Or maybe the Macho Brothers in the Divine Beast Cave._

Renee looked up from the stove with a gentle smile for her recovering son, the faint creases at the corners of her eyes seeming to deepen for a moment as she looked him up and down. Toan slid gratefully into his usual chair at the table, watching Xiao bounce into the chair opposite him with enthusiasm that made him feel incredibly old and weary.

"Up so soon, Toan? I must be better at remedial food than I remember…" His mother frowned down at the stove top and gave the pot a quick stir. Her eyes flickered towards Xiao again – who was currently giving one of the wooden bowls on the table a good sniff over – and smiled at Toan.

His guts twisted painfully as he looked towards Xiao – he wasn't a liar, but what could he tell Renee? That a strange man beat him up and gave him a potion that changed his cat into a hybrid? It wasn't just unlikely – it was _insane!_

That slight quirking of her lips took on an amused cast. "I see you have a new friend, Toan! I haven't seen her around here before…" She knew exactly what was going on, Toan noticed with a silent grumble. She just liked teasing him too much. He slumped onto the table, burying his head in his arms.

Out of the corner of his eye, Toan saw Xiao's long, stripy ears perk up as she noticed the older woman. Unabashedly, the cat turned to Renee with a sweet and winning grin.

"Xiao appreciates Master's mother's kindness." Xiao bowed her head in thanks, her tail twitching behind her, looking for all the world like she'd been in the house since the dawn of time. Toan groaned and burrowed his head further into his arms. Too early for him.

Renee returned Xiao's warmth. "Please, Xiao, make yourself at home. I'll get you some of Pike's fish soup."

Xiao's ears pricked at the seemingly innocent word of 'fish'. Toan scowled as he heard the last part, but held his tongue. It wasn't really up to him, was it? The most _he_ could do was place Pike's home on top of an active volcano and wait for the eruption… the idea was tantalizing enough, but he might regret it a little later if he was too hasty now. And unfortunately, he _hated_ being hasty.

Renee ladled soup into the three bowls she set out, pausing to sprinkle a few glimmering herbs onto Toan's food. Toan grimaced - those herbs always made food a little bitter – but picked up his spoon and took a mouthful. It wasn't _too_ bad… he just had to remember that because of those herbs he would be back to fighting fit within hours.

Metal cracked on glazed ceramic sharply, and there was a disappointed meow. Toan looked over, taking in Xiao's empty bowl wordlessly, his second spoonful frozen halfway up to his mouth. He blinked, set his own spoon down carefully and rose to fix a joyous Xiao another helping, ladling a few more chunks of fish and mushroom into the broth this time.

Xiao mewed a 'thank you' around a chunk of bread and smiled at him, swallowed, then devoured her second bowl a little slower this time. Toan smiled, fighting the urge to ruffle the cat-girl's hair affectionately. She almost reminded him of a little sister he never had.

He slowly cleaned off his own bowl, mopping up the excess broth with a piece of bread, giving his stomach plenty of time to settle. Xiao would probably end up with a massive belly ache from eating so Terra damn _fast –_ he knew that from experienceBut by the time he was done, Xiao was napping on the couch and sleeping off the meal. He smiled as the cat-girl let out a loud snore, and looked at his mother. Renee nodded, lifting up her son's pyjama shirt and gently pressing her fingers against his damaged ribs. He barely felt the dull ache, and looked down. The vicious purple bruising had faded to a calmer yellow – he looked at his mother hopefully.

"Yes… that will do." Renee nodded to herself, giving her son a gentle hug as she rose to her feet. She frowned. "But I can't remember it being this fast when your father and I…" Then she shook her head. "It's probably because you're younger, Toan. More spring left in your bones."

Toan silently digested this, then asked softly, "So… I can resume my quest?"

Renee smiled. "Tomorrow, Toan. Just take it easy for a little bit, you're not over the hill yet!"

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Fourteen** _

_**Morning** _

Toan could hardly believe the progress he made with Xiao as his ally in battle – she had a keen eye for targeting with the slingshot Renee had gifted her, her sense of smell and hearing giving Toan valuable information about the surrounding even Atlamillia could not rival, and just having someone watch his back in battle made things seem a little easier. Much less pressure.

 _It's nice…_ Toan thought as he followed Xiao along a small dusty path he would have otherwise missed entirely. _I'm not alone. If I die down here, at least Xiao will be able to tell my mother what happened…_

He watched the feline's ears flicker back and forth in excitement as they rounded the bend, and she looked back over her shoulder.

"Master should not worry! I don't smell any fiends in the cavern ahead!" Xiao chirped happily, peeking around a bulky rock formation and into what looked like pitch black to Toan, her wooden slingshot stuck out of her back pocket. Toan nodded, hefting the Sax onto one shoulder and walking forward and straining to make out the shapes in the cavern. Sure, he didn't hear any monsters trudging about in the blackness beyond, but that didn't automatically mean there _were_ none… and he wasn't quite ready to trust his life in Xiao's somewhat flighty hands.

She was a cat, after all, and a little high-strung. Erratic. And Atlamillia had been unresponsive all morning… as if it were sulking.

Since when did a _stone_ sulk?

"Hm." Toan muttered as he stared into the darkness, dismissing his problems with Atlamillia. "Might pay to check first, before we charge in…"

He saw Xiao hesitate, but bow to her master's will. He frowned. He ought to do something about that odd mentality now; she was human and equal to him, after all. Toan sighed as he dug around in his back pocket for an item he'd scabbed off Macho in return for some rock breakers he'd come across in the cave. He drew out the spiky gem between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes captured by the spellbinding internal light that flickered like an ember beneath the clear shell.

Toan was reluctant to use the fire gem for such a trivial, meaningless task, but what other choice did he have?

He closed his eyes and sent the spark of ice magic through his fingers that would activate the fire gem, and then pitched it into the darkness. The gem exploded into fire as it left his fingers, looking like a flare as it sailed through the air, lighting up the cave as it went. Toan gave everything a quick look over –

"See, master! Xiao told you she saw a few of the Atla!" Xiao pointed at a cluster of spheres towards the back wall. Toan's eyebrows rose. That had to be the most Atla he'd ever seen in one spot! …to think he would have missed them, if not for Xiao's help and knowledge of the Divine Beast Cave…

It gave him the chills.

"Thank you, Xiao." Toan ruffled the cat-girl's hair, giving her a small grin as he stepped a little more confidently into the blackness. The fire gem rested against the far wall, winking at him like an evil eye from the shadows. Other than that, there was no light as Toan went stumbling and tripping over to the Atla grouped up by the cave wall. He could see the fire gem's fading glow highlighting the smooth, magical spheres. Xiao picked her way over rubble behind Toan, trusting him absolutely to keep her safe. He wished he felt a little more comfortable with that.

It was only when he got within a few feet of the Atla that Atlamillia began to glow. Toan placed his hand on the surface of the sphere nearest to him, warmth rushing into him as the stone absorbed the contents, the glow darkening for an instant before telling him, _'Alnet's House'._ Toan barely had time to read it before the lettering vanished.

"Wow, so that's how master makes the Atla go away!" Xiao exclaimed, jumping forwards and nearly glomping Toan from behind. "Master must be a _very_ powerful wizard!"

Toan rubbed be back of his head sheepishly. "I don't really do anything, it's all Atlamillia… I just touch the things… Atlamillia does the rest."

 _Atlamillia also does a lot more than release the Atla…_ Toan added silently. Since getting the stone, the voices of the world seemed a lot louder. He could almost hear a voice on the wind, songs in the water, murmurs in the trees he positioned all around the village flat. _Almost._ It was nothing short of deafening. And how could he forget the times the stone had saved him in battle, speeding up time and slowing it down…

Toan halted and stared at the other four Atla, passed the Sax to his other hand and opened the rest. Alnet, Carl, the stairway... and strangely Odd Gaffer. Not everything he remembered from Alnet's home was here, but it was close enough. He knew that Alnet wouldn't mind, nor Carl. Carl was so full of beans he'd likely want to try the Divine Beast Cave himself…

Xiao suddenly sprang away from Toan, her ears flat back against her skull, hissing at something just beyond the darkness – just as Atlamillia bloomed with an angry red light. Toan lifted the Sax from his shoulder, grabbing Xiao's arm and whispered into her ear,

"Back to back with me… where are they?"

" _It_ …" Xiao hissed in a low voice. "Scentless One."

"A _what –"_

Xiao clapped a hand over his mouth as the feeble light of the fire gem burned out, plunging them both into darkness. Atlamillia dimmed, and there was silence, save for terrified breathing.

"Master must be quiet… Scentless One may not hear!" The feline whispered in his ear before releasing his face. Toan could feel her tail lashing against his leg, the Sax felt like a ton in his hand – something growled feral in the darkness beyond. Toan's heart leapt in panic as he heard the sounds edge closer…

Xiao grabbed his hand, tugging at it. He could feel her fear, powerfully intense.

 _The stone!_ He remembered, then lifted his left hand and shouted,

" _ATLAMILLIA! Dispel the gloom!"_

The stone flared to life, nearly blinding him as he stared up at his hand. Xiao hissed and covered her eyes, her ears still flat back against her head. The cave was washed in burning white light, Toan had to squint to see –

 _There._ Toan spotted the creature Xiao had so feared. _A Yamich._

Scentless? Perhaps, but a Yamich's true deadliness was tied to its thin, blending form and silent movement. It attacked strongly and fast, usually without warning. Toan had been lucky Xiao had picked it up… but why hadn't Atlamillia?

Setting aside his uncertainties, Toan raised the Sax and walked towards the monster, full of purpose now. Atlamillia surged within his mind, cutting off all thoughts other than the thought of fighting. He stopped a few paces away from the Yamich, watching it reel and writhe in the light. It was virtually harmless to him now. Toan turned away, smiling at Xiao, who stood like his faithful shadow only a pace behind.

"It's all safe –"

Xiao lunged for him, pushing him out of the way as a vortex of wind strong enough to rip flesh from bone swirled into existence in the spot where he had been standing. She let out an ear-splitting yowl as a backlash of the whirlwind whipped over her right arm, tearing through flesh. Blood sprayed on the rocky surface of the ground, Xiao rolling away and drawing her slingshot from her pouch.

Toan could only watch; his head slightly fuzzy and aching from its sudden introduction to the ground, stunned as the attack faded into empty air. Xiao hissed as she climbed to her feet, ignoring the stabbing agony in her forearm as she raised it to take aim, edging away and circling it so she was out of range. Yellow eyes narrowed, wood creaked, rubber cracked as she let loose the stone. Barely any effect…

Toan was beginning to get to his feet, but her master didn't look so well. The Sax lay on the floor, too far for him to reach if the Scentless One changed tack and attacked him instead. The answer came quickly.

_Lead it away from Master, easy!_

She hissed again, her ears flat back as she circled the creature, wary enough to stay out of range, drawing it away from the befuddled Toan, firing off shots at random. Xiao wished then that she still had her claws. Her shots rarely connected and when they did, didn't do _enough_ damage. Her sharp, dark nails gouged into the wood of her slingshot as her frustration grew.

Pellets pounded against the weaving, wraith-like creature. It reached down to the ground again, as if searching for something precious it had dropped. Xiao gripped her slingshot more securely, baring her teeth in defiance. She was all too ready when the whirlwind speared her way, darting to the right and behind the creature and sending a stone flinging into the creature.

The Yamich wailed once, and then faded away as its kind always does after death. She nodded once, a bright smile on her face as she turned to face her master, who was still slightly confused. She took a step towards him and blinked, the pain in her arm coming back to her in full force.

Blood dripped from her fingers and onto the sand floor of the cave. The sound echoing in her sharp ears as she raised her hand and stared at the blood on it as though it was some foreign entity. She felt dizzy, looking at the crimson liquid streaming from her wounds. Toan called out her name, but it sounded distant as though he was standing on the other side of the room instead of right next to her.

The last thing she remembered was darkness swarming her vision followed by the sensation of falling, a warm body catching her and then... nothing.

* * *

For all Xiao's lithe, light weight, it was no easy task carrying her unconscious and bleeding form out of a caverns smelling entirely too much like blood and towards the spring Toan and Xiao had passed on their way in. Toan searched his memory desperately as he rounded another bend, another rock face, another group of stalagmites… surely it hadn't been this far back.

_What I wouldn't give for Xiao's nose right now… and her optimism. And that infectious energy…_

He could feel blood seeping into his poncho, see it trickling down Xiao's lax arms as he carried her. His knees felt like jelly, and he seemed to be tripping over his own feet a few times too often. He ignored his, keeping his ears and eyes peeled for that elusive fountain. Atlamillia seemed to glow with a subdued light, as if it were… ashamed. Toan pondered this for a few moments, but quickly shoved it out of his He was being stupid. It was just a magical stone, more powerful than the ordinary Wind Stones he found the other day. It wasn't an entity, it _couldn't be…_ The Fairy King would have told him so.

Xiao, on the other hand, was probably bleeding to death in his arms as he dragged his feet, pondering an inanimate object. Toan shook himself angrily, careful not to jostle Xiao any more than necessary, and trudged onwards. His ears were straining for the musical sound of the enchanted spring, but nothing.

Amazingly, that tiny seeming hybrid had saved his life. He'd turned his back for one moment, and Xiao had saved him for that small lapse in concentration – and had paid the price for it. The price _he_ should have paid. The thought made his throat tighten in bitterness. He'd have to be more careful, the last thing he wanted was for Xiao to be hurt –

Then he heard it. A faint, bubbling music that reminded him of past happiness, peace and calm – the sound of the fountain. A small smile came to his lips, and he moved forwards quickly, rounding the final bend and emerging into the flickering torchlight. Feeling no small amount of relief wash over him, he trudged over to the spring and lay down Xiao as carefully as possible. Then he frowned. What now?

The blood caught his attention again, and without thinking, he knelt down by Xiao and gently splashed some of the clear, sparkling water onto her cut, sloshing the clotting blood away. He reached into his pouch, drawing out a long strip of bandages and wrapped the length around her right bicep and tied it securely. That would probably stop the bleeding, but…

Xiao's brown eyes cracked open slowly, and her good arm reached up reflexively to wipe the sweat from her forehead. A whimper escaped her lips as she tried to move her right arm.

"Take it easy, Xiao, you've been hurt," Toan told her, trying to use the most reassuring tone he could. Xiao's eyes were slightly clouded with pain, slightly dazed.

"What happened, master?"

"Toan," he automatically corrected her. "You saved me, that's for sure. Thanks, Xiao. I'm just sorry you got hurt before I could help." It was an effort not to let the bitterness of his failure to creep into his voice. Xiao was hurt, and it was his fault.

"It's an honour to be hurt instead of my master." Xiao closed her eyes and nodded to herself.

"It's… what?" This time he forgot to correct her, tell her he was just 'Toan' and no master at all.

"You have been hurt for me, no? You stopped the Evil One, and the monsters, all for me. I will die before I let my master be hurt!" There was a dazed fire in her eyes, not quite clear but very much there.

Toan was stuck for words. Xiao wanted to protect him? But – she didn't have to, he was supposed to be strong, supposed to save his town. The saviour of the saviour? The notion was ridiculous, yet it made him feel a little better. Slowly, he nodded. He'd let Xiao watch his back – like Komacho did for Macho. Maybe things would start to look up.

"Okay, Xiao, take hold of my arm and hold it tightly, I'm going to get us out of here." He felt Xiao's hand grab his, and with a sigh, he allowed the Fairy King to warp them out of the Divine Beast Cave.

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Sixteen** _

_**Afternoon** _

Toan wiped the sweaty hair from his eyes as he struggled to see where Alnet was coming from.

"So… you want your house near the pond, away from the Macho's place and near Gaffer's?" His head ached as he struggled to remember all of Alnet's demands. How was he going to do that?! He'd already promised the Gaffer a place in the centre of the town – and that just so happened to be near the Macho's place. With a sigh, he rubbed his temples, looking at Alnet to verify those demands.

Pike's sister nodded, a smile coming to her face. "That would be wonderful, Toan. You've already done such a good job of getting everything together." She motioned to the few houses scattered about Nolun, from Pike's house to the rivers to the trees to the small windmills turning slowly in the summer breeze. Toan felt his lips twitch into a smile, then turned back to the map of Nolun he had in his spare hand.

"So…" he stared at the rough parchment, mentally crossing off the areas that disagreed with Alnet's demands. The Machos sure hadn't been this picky… "How about here?"

Alnet leaned over to see where he was pointing. A small vacant lot just near Pike's house, close to where Toan planned to put Gaffer's buggy and importantly, on the opposite side of the valley than the Macho's home.

The young woman sighed heavily. "But Toan, I really wanted a few trees around my house…"

Toan muttered under his breath, and told her, as calmly as he could, "I'll put some around there when I find some more in the Atla."

Beaming, the woman nodded. "That spot, then. It'll be perfect."

He nodded wearily, extending his hand for the young woman to shake. Alnet took his hand warmly -

"HEY TOAN!" A young voice yelled at the top of his lungs. The hair rose on the back of Toan's neck as his hand slipped from Alnet's grip and he whirled, fingers twitching towards the buster sword that wasn't actually with him. Groaning, Toan turned around as he heard Alnet tell him how pleased she was. Carl – Alnet's younger brother and the mischief-maker of the whole village – was standing on the bridge over the river, his chest puffed out and a proud look on his face. A sturdy looking slingshot was hanging out the back of his pants pocket.

Toan tried hard not to laugh.

"Carl, get over here, Toan's about to start!" his sister hissed menacingly, advancing on the younger boy. Carl dodged around her and behind Toan, grinning from ear to ear.

Laughing was getting hard to avoid.

"Hey Toan, can I-" Carl began to ask, but Toan quickly stepped forwards, purposely jogging out of earshot.

 _One more pedantic demand and there'll be NOWHERE in this valley I can put them!_ He focused on Atlamillia, feeding it the geographical information specific for Alnet's house. A couple of trees were added to the picture, the interior demands for the house being slotted mentally into place… _there._

Atlamillia hummed in his mind as it processed that information, giving an affirmative glow as it finished. Toan raised his hand – and in a blinding white flash, where there was empty space there was not. Alnet yelped in surprise, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide. Carl was beaming, giving a small _whoop_ and running towards the finished house. Toan felt his shoulders sag in exhaustion, and he sat on the bridge over the river. The water gurgled beneath the boards, soothing him…

Xiao, since getting her arm hurt, hadn't been sighted that often around the village. Her arm was in a sling and healing fast, but when Xiao came to the dinner table at night she looked tired and drawn. Toan had no idea of where she went, and had no time to ask her in between village demands, the mayor's talks with him and trying to organise everything so it _fitted._

Still, it was worrying him. Xiao was fairly new to the whole human business. What if she got hurt, or lost, or worse, kidnapped?

He shook his head and tried to put it out of his mind. She was tough. She'd cope…

Carl was jogging back towards him – and funnily enough he had a serious glint in his eyes. Toan frowned.

_That always means trouble._

He only just stopped himself from looking around for a place to hide. Instead, he stood still, crossing his arms over his chest and letting a small smile fix itself to his face. No need to look worried _just_ yet. 'Yet' being the operative word…

"Hey, Toan…" Carl began in a wheedling tone, a grin coming to his small face.

Toan felt himself flinch a little. "Yeah?"

"Next time you go into the Cave…"

Toan braced himself for another insane request. He wished Xiao was here to distract him.

"Can I come?!"

The appeal caught Toan completely off guard. Blinking, he stared at the boy giving him puppy-dog eyes.

"Are you serious?" He heard himself ask, then winced. Of course the kid was serious… He tried another tack, massaging his temples. "That Cave is dangerous, Carl. Even Macho and Komacho have trouble with some of the nastier monsters, and they hunt them for a living."

"I'm not helpless!" Carl huffed. "I can use my slingshot! I'm good with that! Better than your pet, I bet."

Toan frowned at him. "'Pet'?"

"Yeah, that hybrid who always seemed to follow you – 'til now, I guess." He looked around as if to check Xiao wasn't there. Satisfied, he smirked.

The older boy felt his irritation growing a little. What right did Carl have to make that kind of judgement about Xiao? He didn't even know her! "Xiao is the best ally anyone could ask for. I'd rather have her watching my back than a thousand warriors," Toan told the boy levelly, attempting to mask his exasperation.

Carl scoffed at his words.

"I'm serious, Carl. I'm not taking you into that Cave."

Carl's eyes narrowed, but suddenly, he shrugged. "Oh well, I had to try."

As Toan watched the boy's retreating back, he had an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Why did it feel like this wouldn't be the last he heard of this escapade?

* * *

Xiao rubbed the freshly healed scar on her arm, mewing under her breath and looking up at the muscled men before her. She undid the sling, folding the blue rag into a square and stowing it in her pocket.

"I came here for your help," she told them quietly. "I'd like to be able to help master Toan more. Last time I let him get hurt, and in the end I was no good."

Macho was quiet for a couple of moments, as if fighting some inner urge to blurt information.

It was Komacho who broke the silence. "Another weapon should do it. It doesn't sound like your technique was at fault."

Macho swallowed. "'A man's strength is measured by his weapon'. That's what Aga's book taught us. The stronger the weapon, the stronger you are." He took Xiao's wooden slingshot. It looked tiny in his large, meaty hands. "See this? It's a base weapon, not really good for anything. Low strength, low magic and no magical attributes."

Xiao felt confused. "Huh?"

"What you need is a weapon, a stronger weapon. Also, a weapon that can _evolve._ " Macho nodded to himself.

"Evolve?" Why were they so intent on confusing her? She was just a cat.

"Change. Become better." Komacho grunted. "But don't just rely on weapons. Use items that can change the tide of battle, slow your enemies, even _freeze_ them, burn them – anything goes in the dungeon. You got that?"

Xiao nodded slowly. Get a better slingshot, get better at helping Toan. That made some sense. Then she frowned.

"Where do I get these weapons?"

Macho shrugged. "If you have a lot of gilda, you can buy them in shops like Wise Owl's. But in the case of poor beggars like us," he grinned. "Well, we have to find them in booby-trapped chests hidden in random spots around the dungeon."

Xiao nodded. "So… to get a weapon, I have to fight my way with the weapon I have?"

"Sadly, yeah. Too bad, eh?" Macho elbowed her in the side with a good-natured grin.

"Use some of these –" As Komacho was reaching into his side pouch, he swore. "Dammit, that brat's been here. Little thief and his damn slingshot!" Swearing again, he deposited a pair of throbbing cherries into Xiao's hand, along with her slingshot. "That's all we can do for you, kid." He sighed.

Xiao gave the two dungeon-trawlers a big, toothy grin. "Thankyou!"

Komacho clapped her on the shoulders. "Go get 'em, tiger."

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Sixteen** _

_**Night** _

Toan sank into the waiting armchair, his aching bones and head crying out in relief as he relaxed. That felt better… everything was done today. But he was far too exhausted to go looking for Xiao now, he'd just ask her after dinner… if he hadn't fallen asleep by then. He yawned, kicking off his boots and propping his feet up on the table. Maybe… maybe sleep would be good around about now.

_After all, everything's done, everyone's helping out at Alnet's, what could they possibly need_ _ me _ _for now that it's all set up?_

He yawned again, closing his eyes. Yeah, it was safe to take a nap. A little nap wouldn't hurt… The door banged open – Toan nearly jumped a foot. A dark figure barged into the room, breathing hard and sobbing. He squinted against the light as it hit his eyes painfully.

"Hey, what the –" Toan began, climbing painfully to his feet and trying not to sway in exhaustion. His head began to ache again, and his joints felt like they were on fire now. He grabbed the back of the armchair for support.

"Toan!" Alnet grabbed his other hand in a painful grip, holding it as if he was her last saving grace. Toan winced and attempted to pry his hand out, but halted. Alnet was… crying?

"What's wrong, Alnet?" He questioned hesitantly, trying not to think of all the sleep he was missing out on.

"Oh Toan, it's Carl, I can't find him anywhere!" She sobbed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. Her eye-paint was running from her tears, and it smeared as she rubbed her eyes. Toan went cold as the words soaked into his sleep-occupied mind, freezing his very soul.

_Oh Terra… oh Terra, what have you done, Carl?_

Alnet's grip on his hand was bruising. "I've checked every house, everywhere – Pike and Paige are helping, but… _Oh Terra,_ I think he's gone into the Cave! I heard him talking about it to himself, how you wouldn't let him come –"

Toan squeezed her hand back. "Listen, Alnet, I'll take care of it. Xiao and I…" He trailed off as he realised one very important thing. He still had no idea where Xiao was.

_Terra damn it._

"I'll bring him back, no matter what," he finished more firmly. Even if he had to do it alone, he'd find Carl. Easing his hand from Alnet's, he placed the index and middle fingers of his left hand to his temple and warped into the cave, praying to the Fairy King that he wasn't too late to save the idiot boy.

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Sixteen** _

_**Night** _

Xiao hissed and slashed out with her claws, catching the Dasher in the eyes and racking it down the creature's face. The monster gave a guttural scream and fled, clutching at its face. Xiao straightened, panting. Blood coated her fingers, splattered on her dusky skin, stained her smock and black shorts…

She grabbed the pouch of gilda the Dasher had left behind before moving on. There had been no luck so far – she'd found no chests, nothing that could give her a new weapon she could help Toan with. The thought made her angry – fuelled her to keep going. She didn't want to be helpless – she wanted to be help _ful._ She wanted to help Master Toan, and that was all!

A strange sound came to her long ears – they twitched in the direction of the noise. Xiao frowned, wrinkling her nose. What was that noise? It didn't sound alien or monstrous – it was more human. More of a whining scream than anything else.

Xiao tilted her head to the side, debating going to check it out as opposed to ploughing on in the cave… Mysterious sound or better weapon? She bit her lip – her ears twitched again as the sound was picked up again – louder this time, more desperate. Xiao spun on her heel and raced off towards the sound. If it were human, Toan would never forgive her if she left it to die in the Cave. That was something she wouldn't be able to live with.

* * *

Carl winced as the fireball _swooshed_ past him, even though it missed by several inches, the heat radiating from it seared his skin painfully. Trembling he raised his slingshot again, circling around the beast as it prepared to launch another blast of flame. His hands shook as he let the stone fly, overshooting the beast and hitting the cave wall with a loud _thunk_.

The world seemed to slow for Carl as the dragon opened its mouth, he wanted to run, wanted to scream, wanted to cry out. Instead he stared blankly at the oncoming flame, looking straight into his death like the Macho brothers had always said a man should.

As the flame drew closer he trembled, looking away, bracing himself for the pain that was sure to come. He bit his lip, wondering if anyone would find his charred and mangled body, perhaps Toan or that hybrid. Maybe Komacho or Macho… would anybody be able to tell it was even him?

He wanted to tell his sister he loved her one last time, wanted to see her smiling face. Perhaps he should have listened to Toan when he told him to stay out of the cave - Carl closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate when a warm body collided with him, toppling him to the ground. He felt the stream of fire pass over him, the air sizzling as it shot harmlessly by. Something hissed loudly in his ear, his saviour leapt to her feet and launched herself at the dragon's armoured nose.

 _The… hybrid. What is she_ _doing_ _? Doesn't she know that thing is deadly?_ He scrambled upright, pressing himself flush against the cave wall. His slingshot clattered to the dusty floor, mere feet away from where he cowered, but he was unable to even move a trembling hand. Why had he ever thought he was good enough for this?

The dragon gave an agonized bellow, the floor seeming to quake with the force of its cry, and the lithe form of the hybrid was roughly flung away from the beast. Blood oozed down the side of its face, running from the ruined socket the cat's claws had left behind.

The cat hissed, bloody claws digging gouges in the dust as she slowed her movement to a halt. She straightened, casting a concerned look back at Carl. He swallowed, bile coming into his throat. Blood – dark monster blood – had splattered the side of her face, dripped from her blunt claws to the cave floor. Her tail twitched, bristling immediately as her long ears lay back flat against her skull.

"Stay back. Xiao has this handled." There was a quick flash of fangs in a grin before the cat was a blur again, rolling away just as fire scorched the cave floor where she had been a moment before. A pebble pelted into the dragon's hide as Xiao struck at the dragon's blind side – Carl frowned. Her slingshot was far too weak to do any real damage to the dragon, but somehow she thought she could…

… _draw the dragon away!_ Carl's mind raced as his eyes darted to the weapon he had left on the ground. The slingshot he had so painstakingly bought, he now saw, was a waste. He couldn't use it – not properly. Not today…

Xiao yowled as she darted beneath the dragon's tree trunk legs, somehow managing to fire off a shot as she passed beneath the beast's stomach before she rolled to her feet and frog-leaped up onto the dragon's back. The beast roared in rage, sending fire scorching towards the ceiling of the cave, his old prey completely forgotten in the light of the new threat. The cat flattened herself against the dragon's ridged spine, flames gushing harmlessly over her head. Now Xiao – she could _use_ the slingshot. Coupled with her natural instincts and superior senses, she could bring the beast to its knees –

Carl lurched forward from the cave wall, sliding to his knees in the dust and clawing the metal weapon into his small fists. His heart was pounding; his mouth was dry as a bone. The cool metal was a comfort in his hands, and he quickly drew his arm back.

" _Xiao! Head's up!"_ He screamed desperately as he flung the bandit's slingshot wildly at her dodging and weaving body, hoping that somehow – _somehow –_ she would hear and catch it. Carl's heart sank as he realized that his toss hand gone far too high for the cat-girl to ever catch on her own.

Tears of frustration prickled at the corners of his eyes as the slingshot sailed over the dragon's back. He had failed again.

Xiao's ears pricked for a moment, her mangled wooden slingshot dropped to the ground. A clawed hand caught up in the dragon's spines and suddenly, Xiao had flung herself upwards and over the creature's back, snatching the reinforced slingshot from the air even as they both plummeted to the ground. The cat landed in a crouch, and Carl had the oddest feeling that the creature had winked at him, before drawing back the band and firing off a rapid volley of stones into the beast's snout.

The dragon stepped backwards, snorting and pawing the ground. Xiao yowled angrily, drawing back a stone in her slingshot. She was panting though, and even from where he stood, Carl could see that she was completely spent, her hands trembling, sweat matting her short brown hair.

" _Carl! Carl! Where are you?"_

Carl's eyes widened as he heard boots pounding on the beaten floor of the Divine Beast Cave. His heart began to hammer wildly.

" _TOAN!"_ His voice rose to scream as desperation took hold of his mind. _"WE'RE HERE!"_

The clash of blades in the distance, ringing off the cave walls, was his only answer and Carl began to step backwards.

"Xiao! Let's just get out of here and leave that rotten beast alone!" He motioned violently for Xiao to follow his lead.

Xiao's ears were still flat back against her skull as she took a step backwards, not lowering the slingshot for a second as she edged slowly away. The dragon pawed the ground restlessly, but otherwise did not advance. Carl watched them wordlessly. Perhaps it was beaten too – the cat might be too difficult a prey to be worth taking down. That was a relief…

Xiao took what seemed like an eternity to draw level with Carl, while he fidgeted restlessly. He just wanted to get out of this gods-forsaken cave and hug his sister. Alnet was probably worried sick by now; she was going to kill him. The cat finally lowered her slingshot as she pulled the boy around the corner after her, darting off into the darkness ahead of him, only the warm hand on his wrist to keep him with her.

"We must reach Master Toan before more monsters come! Xiao cannot hold off any more…" Her voice was insistent, but wearied. She flattened them up against the cave wall, sliding him into a tiny alcove before following herself. Her bloodied hand pressed against his mouth as he yelped in surprise, her hands tightening like vices as a trio of master jackets passed by their hiding place. Carl felt his eyes burning with tears. He just wanted to go home now.

Xiao waited a few moments after the skeletons had passed before finally releasing the boy. She stepped out of the niche carefully, motioning for Carl to follow as quietly as possible.

"Master Toan is not far away, but we must be quiet." The cat whispered, grabbing his hand and towing him along behind her again.

It was not long before Carl could hear the sounds of a furious battle being fought not too far away from where Xiao and he were. His heart lurched painfully as something inhuman screamed loudly enough to curdle his blood. Xiao paused, and the clashing of blades had abruptly finished.

"It is over. Master!" The cat-girl broke into a run again. Carl dashed after her, weaving around the sharp bends in the cave before bursting into the torch-lit main cavern. The remains of a squadron of skeletons were strewn about the cave's floor, already decomposing now that the dark magic that had revived them had fled. And Toan… he stood in the midst of the wreckage, chest heaving, buster sword clenched painfully in one hand and his dagger in the other, staring at the gem – nobody had bothered to tell Carl how Toan had gotten it – on his hand.

"Master Toan!" Xiao cried joyfully, bounding over the fallen forms and over to Toan. Carl jogged forwards too, elated – and nearly slipped in a patch of gooey peach. He caught his balance with some difficulty, making a bee-line for the older boy.

As they neared Toan, the older boy looked up from his contemplation of the gem. His eyes seemed very distant, as if his soul was millions of miles away now… he blinked, and the emptiness in his eyes was abruptly gone.

"Xiao! … _Carl?_ " He staggered forwards, wrapping his arms around both of them. "Thank Terra… But your sister is going to kill you, Carl."

Xiao frowned at that, and placed a defensive hand on Carl's shoulder. He looked up confusedly, not worrying about the blood and grime smearing on his blue jacket.

"After Xiao worked so hard saving him?" She seemed slightly offended at the whole notion. Carl couldn't help but feel a little warm and fuzzy inside as Toan stuttered that it was a figure of speech. He smiled up at Xiao.

"Your sister came to me in hysterics when she figured out you had vanished into the Divine Beast Cave. What were you thinking, coming in here – this deep?" Carl's warm feeling died down a bit.

 _Alnet… in hysterics?_ Suddenly he felt very ashamed of himself. He hadn't really meant to worry Alnet. He just wanted to prove to Toan he could handle the Cave – which had been a stunning failure. He swallowed unsteadily.

"S-sorry…" he whispered to the ground at Toan's feet.

"In any case," Toan frowned deeply as he noticed Xiao's appearance, rubbing his temples. "You're covered in blood."

Carl took that as the cue to begin The Always-dreaded Explanation – he didn't even embellish the details… _much_.


	7. The World According to Claude

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Twenty-Four** _

_**Morning** _

Toan leaned over the rickety wooden railings, feeling the slowly rising sun warming his face and warding off the chill of the morning. The rays stained the clear morning sky in brilliant hues, oranges and yellows and reds cascading, one over the other, until it he was almost blinded by it. A mist still lingered over the ground, shrouding the whole village with an air of mystery, of secrecy.

Breathing out deeply, Toan let his full weight rest against the thin fence, watching the sun rise over the mountain ranges that surrounded Nolun Valley. Those mountain ranges had always protected the village from harsh weather and from the outside world, like a barrier against the unknown and the feared. In a way, Toan supposed as he idly stared down at the swirling blue surface of Atlamillia, it had separated the Village from everything, and thus Nolun had become a world unto itself.

Yet those same mountain ranges had not helped them when the time came and the Dark Genie had lashed out – worse, because of the isolation of the mountain valley, he couldn't easily reach other towns and villages. Toan sighed, covering the vortex surface of Atlamillia with a hand.

_Things are never that easy. Sometimes, I wish Nolun was the whole world._

He stared over the township, the citizens he had restored already making their way around. He could see Carl feeding the chickens not far from his home, and thankfully had not made another bid for the Cave since his ill-fated adventure into its depths. Toan knew better than to hope for a total reform, however. Carl's nature seemed to demand that he seek out trouble and whack it with the biggest stick he could find…

Just as he was about to wave to Paige as she strolled by, Toan felt something warm and woolly bump up against the palm of his hand. He looked down in mute surprise at his llama, the creature chewing happily on the crab grass growing near Toan's foot. He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. That creature – aptly named Woolly – had been around since before his father had left, and had been Toan's playmate when Paige had gone through the phase when boys were gross. There had been nobody else around.

Absently, he stroked Woolly's withers as the llama continued to chew on the grass. He barely had time to feed his old pet, let alone properly take care of him. Renee, he supposed, had taken over the care for the creature while he had to battle his way through the caves. Giving his llama's shoulders a final pat, Toan heaved himself from the fence, working his shoulders slowly to work out the deep, stiff ache from his joints.

 _I'd better start those forms again,_ he thought reluctantly as he entered the barn around the side of his house. Already, the heat of the coming day began to linger in the dark space, the piles of straw and stacks of grain emitting a heady smell. Dust danced in the shafts of light filtering into the barn, eerie in quietness of the world into which it had been reborn.

Toan ran a hand through his hair, turning reluctantly towards the rack Pike had constructed four days ago. A sturdy, newly varnished workbench sat in one corner of the barn, Aga's book resting on the dark surface. It lay open on the page Toan had been studying last night; the section headed _'fencing forms'_ still waiting to be tried out. Above the workbench, wrapped in cloth and settled on the shelves, were the buster sword and the sax.

He slowly lifted the lower sword from its perch on his wall, gently unwinding the thick blue cloth that hid it from casual view. The blade, freshly oiled and sharpened, threw his reflection into a warped and twisted visage. Silently, Toan began.

It wasn't long after Toan had started to train in earnest that the door to the barn cracked ajar. Squinting out the corner of his eye, Toan tried to make out the intruder. If it was that old woman asking him about Dran _again_ he was going to stab himself through the head with his own dagger –

When nobody entered, Toan mentally shrugged and began to focus on the task at hand, swinging the sax in a descending crescent strike to his imagined foe's hip. Almost in spite of himself, that imagined opponent began to morph, twist... At first he hardly noticed the change in how his foe swung his blade, the brute strength – occasionally an imagined taunt that he was just a boy, hardly worthy of the stone…

_The boy darted in, swinging for Seda's shoulder, feeling his arms jar as Seda intercepted the blade. Toan recoiled quickly, bringing the blade whipping over in an overhand slash for his foe's side. The warrior blocked almost contemptuously._

_The resulting roundhouse kick sent Toan flying across the dungeon floor. Seda straightened and smirked again, his red eyes cold as ice._

" _Pitiful child."_

Toan's teeth clenched, his grip tightened on the blocky hilt of the sax. After everything he had done – everything he had _seen –_ and Seda had the nerve to call him a boy?

" _You cannot defeat the Dark Genie. You cannot defeat me." Seda advanced on him, the massive sword lifting up, ready to cleave him into two._

Toan's aching arms flew up in a block, catching Seda's blade as it descended, feinted down then flashed the sax in to behead the arrogant warrior where he stood –

_Seda blocked his attempt with sickening ease. "No matter what you do, you will never win."_

_Toan snarled and drove the sax's serrated blade straight through Seda's heart_ and blinking, stared at the sword that had been stabbed straight through the barn's strong wooden beams. A shiver ran through his body, yanking the sax from the wall. The hairs rose on the back of his neck and he dropped the sax. Entire body wavering, Toan sank to his knees.

He'd lost control. Completely. He'd been so caught up it had never occurred to him that Seda had never been there.

The glow faded from Atlamillia, and it wasn't for the first time that Toan wondered what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

_**Location Unknown** _

_**Twenty-Four Days since Rebirth** _

_**Morning** _

Seda burst into being in the tiny cave in which he had taken refuge, his magic burning from his body in foul waves. He stumbled forwards, falling roughly to his hands and knees, his entire body trembling from effort, from… fear? Sweat trickled down his brow as he took a heaving breath.

 _That power… what was that?!_ He gasped as he tried to crawl further into the warming mountain cave, but his muscles no longer seemed to obey his command. Futilely, he reached for Atonement's hilt before collapsing into a shaking heap.

Unable to move any longer, Seda lay there, a pathetic and defeated heap in the mountain caves. Not the way for a man of his position to behave, but for now, he supposed he could relax the rules… no matter how it set his teeth on edge.

Despite his envy of the child's possession of the stone that Seda dared to tempt fate and _help_ the boy. He never knew when he might fall to the dark power inside him, but helping that boy, it was something. Something working towards his ultimate goal; atonement. Increasingly, it appeared that the boy's goals and his own were one in the same – perhaps, Seda had mused on more than one occasion, they could be considered allies. Grudging allies, of course, but…

He was hardly in a position to pick allies. This was a foreign land much different to his own; had the Dark Genie's attack truly reshaped so many of the lands? Even Nolun – a cursed name in his own heart – had changed so very much. But it was while he had been lurking in that town and placing useful items in chests, that he had felt _it._

A killing intent, so intense Seda had recoiled and nearly revealed himself to the village's inhabitants. He had quickly discerned the location of the spike – a nondescript barn with a river flowing beside it. Sure of himself and his own power, Seda had walked forwards – and that had been when the magical recoil had hit him. Like a weight pressed at him from every angle, a light so bright he had been blinded and a song…

But all around him, none of the villagers seemed to feel that incredible power. His skin felt as if it were aflame, his eyesight faltering then flaring back up, that heavy weight pressing into his lungs and heart until he felt he must be on his knees, screaming for it to stop-

_The boy snarled, driving the sax's serrated blade straight through Seda's heart_

Something shattered the nightmare, something lucid and good, yet laced with a seductive call as dark and as dangerous as the demon's blood had been for Seda. Then it, too, faded, and Seda looked up with a gasp. The tip of a sax had been thrust straight through the wooden exterior of the barn, and suddenly Seda had known. It had taken him a few moments to get his mind together enough to shadow walk, and there he . Almost sobbing from the fear he had felt in that moment, that feeling of excruciating magical energy being directed solely at him.

He summoned the rest of his energy, and curling up into a tight ball, Seda's heart bled anew.

"Sophia…"

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Twenty-Four** _

_**Morning** _

Toan made an effort to gather himself, to regroup his shattered thoughts.

 _This is madness_ Toan thought as he reached out for the Sax's blocky hilt. _How can I restore the world when I hate one man so much?_

The sword in his hand, Toan dragged himself to his feet and reached for the faded blue cloth he usually wrapped the Sax in, and instead took the buster sword from the wall.

Lighter, faster... _a failure._ Toan's only defeat had come from this sword. He had been outclassed and out maneuvered. Clearly, he had a very long way to go before facing the Dark Genie of the East, and he wouldn't gain that experience he needed so badly by staring at the hay in the barn.

He tossed the red wrappings to the side and quickly walked out of the barn, his blood humming in his veins. Atlamillia glowed serenely,

Immediately, he looked around for Xiao; he couldn't take on the newer levels of the Divine Beast Cave on his own.

* * *

Xiao walked around the village, tail twitching as she sniffed the air glancing this way and that. She was bored, plain and simple. Cats _hated_ being bored; perhaps she could go plead an egg off Carl – she had noticed he had been collecting them from that henhouse – or maybe she could check out all the fish in the pond again.

The look on Pike's face when she had broken his Niler record yesterday had been _priceless -_

Her ears twitched as she heard her master call her voice and she tilted her head to the side, debating on whether or not to answer. On one hand, he may be about to venture into the Cave...

But on the other... He may want her to help set up some bossy villager's house again. She hissed at the thought and decided to make herself scarce by climbing up the nearest tree and hiding until she knew which one he wanted her for. She was betting on the latter. Tail twitching like a jaguar's she watched him approach her hiding spot and waited as he glanced around and shrugged, walking off looking somewhat dejected.

Feeling guilty, she tried to climb down and run after him, only to discover that she was stuck. She kept her eyes fixed on Toan's figure, waiting. He had something in his hand, but Xiao couldn't really work out what.

Her sharp eyes narrowed as she saw her master frowning; he must seriously have needed Xiao's help.

"Hey Xiao! C'mon!" She watched him shield his eyes as he scanned the village quickly.

Xiao's mouth twitched into a smile. This could be a fun…!

"Terra damn it..." she thought she heard Toan mumble to himself. Xiao's ears twitched fitfully as she caught her breath. He looked hot and bothered by the intense head already. He spotted the great, spreading oak Xiao had wedged herself in, perhaps deciding on the spot to take a break from that gods-awful heat.

Xiao almost let out a squeak as Toan stood directly beneath her. Gasping, she clapped her hands over her mouth, forgetting that they were the only things keeping her from tumbling to the ground below. With an indignant yowl she fell like a rock onto her master just as he looked up to investigate the source of the noise.

She landed directly on Toan, wincing as his head _cracked_ to the hard ground. She let out a sudden stream of incomprehensible 'sorrys', mewing and begging for forgiveness from her beloved master, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

Her master peeled his eyes open, rubbing the back of his head as if it had been pulverized from impact with the hardened ground.

"X-Xiao?" He still looked a little dazed from the knock to his head, his eyes foggy with pain.

Xiao jumped off him like she'd been burned and immediately put on the most innocent expression she could possibly pull off. Her tail twitched and she sneezed, staring at Toan with wide eyes.

"Master?" She managed to look surprised and immediately threw herself at the boy, nuzzling his stomach. "Master saved Xiao from the evil tree..." She purred, rubbing her face against him. Toan stared down incredulously at the cat, who currently had her arms locked around him like a she was a vice-in-training, and he winced out,

"Uh, sure Xiao. Hero's job and all."

Xiao smirked, tail waving lazily as she squeezed Toan's midriff one last time and let go, wiping the look on her face as she did so. "Xiao is so happy Master save her... Was Master looking for Xiao?" Her eyes flickered down to the sword that lay beside him as he slowly refilled his lungs with the air.

Toan rubbed his head; perhaps very nearly catching on to the concept that Xiao wasn't quite as innocent as he had thought. He scratched his head through his turban, carefully thinking on how to phrase his next statement.

"Hey, Xiao... you wouldn't be interested in... well, you know... giving me a hand right now?" He glanced in the direction of the Divine Beast Cave, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I know you probably don't like going there but..." He trailed off, and all that met Xiao's ears were the general hum of the town, the general sound of people going about their lives. Just the usual hubbub over nothing continued despite what Toan had told her about what had happened to the world.

At the mention of the cave, Xiao hissed in the general direction of the stone doors, baring her fangs. Her tail thrashed violently, her dress riding up slightly from the force of the movements. "Xiao does not like the cave... but…" She calmed slightly, fangs receding behind her lips when she noticed her master looking a little afraid.

"Xiao would follow Master to the ends of the earth if she had too," she declared, steel in her voice and an unusual seriousness in her manner. Toan nodded slowly, his eyes seeming to consider her briefly, then took a firm hold of Xiao's upper arm. Xiao watched in fascination as Toan placed his index and middle fingers above the bridge of his nose. His eyes grew distant, staring out over her shoulder and towards the Divine Beast Cave.

Warmth suffused them, and for an instant Xiao thought she saw a kindly old face before the magic's light blinded her.

* * *

_**Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Adventure Day Twenty-Four** _

_**Morning** _

Toan and Xiao landed in a tangled heap in the cave, the disturbed dust rising up and coating the insides of his throat as he struggled to both lurch to his feet and breathe at the same time. He blinked rapidly to rid his eyes of the bright spots swimming lazily in his vision, and froze as he heard a scuffling.

Unwilling to dismiss them as Xiao, Toan slid the buster sword from where he had slid it through his belt and held it ready, his entire body seeming to strain for danger. The stone on his hand was dulled, but it hadn't been the first time Atlamillia had failed him – or outright refused to help him.

"You hear anything?" He asked quietly of the cat to his left, squinting in order to piece the initial gloom of the cave. "Smell anything?" Xiao's super-naturally sharp senses really came in handy at times...

Her long, stripy ears tilted forward, the cat-girl sniffed the air, and her eyes narrowing as she caught a scent she didn't like. "There is an Atla near," she said, playing with the tip of her tail as she recalled the last time she had encountered one.

Toan nodded, allowing himself to relax and balanced the buster sword on his shoulder. "As long as it's nearer than last time you said 'near', I'm sure we'll be fine."

He started off into the general direction Xiao had waved too, jogging to rid himself of the sluggishness that remained over him since his disastrous training session that morning. As if on cue, Atlamillia began to glow as they neared the exit to the large cavern of the area, washing the surrounding area with a faint, blue light. Toan winced at the brightness, thinking of how _attractive_ the blue light would be to a cave bat lurking nearby... With some effort, the boy dimmed the light and kept up the pace.

Xiao eyed the blue stone warily, obviously disliking the sudden light and lack of it. With a peeved sniff she ran ahead, following her nose to the cavern in which the Atla lay. A foot or two from it she stopped, ears twitching as she caught the sound of something... twitching within the Atla.

"Master... This Atla seems... different." She said, sniffing it and looking disgruntled as it twitched in her general direction. She looked around, as if she heard someone yell to her from a great distance. Toan shrugged. Xiao have fervently disliked Atla and made no effort to keep it to herself; this type of comment was never rare.

 _It's not like I have much of a choice here, Xai,_ he thought to himself as he extended his hands towards the stone, Atlamillia almost pulsating with blue light.

Xiao's ears twitched again and swiveled around as she caught a sound from the back of the cave. She hissed, drawing her slingshot from its pouch on her thigh. "Master... Bats are approaching," she hissed a warning, fitting a stone to the weapon and drawing it back, ready for Toan's go-ahead.

Toan whirled as panic gnawed at his stomach, drawing the buster sword and holding it in a _guard_ position. He nearly groaned as he saw what looked like a great, dark cloud approaching them. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He should have known.

_Never,_ _ ever _ _easy._

"Xiao, can you thin out the ranks from here?" He reached into his pack slowly, his hands closing around something large and round. He drew the bomb out carefully, lighting a match and holding it carefully away from the fuse. "I'll see if I can take out the bulk of them with this."

Xiao gave him an odd sort of salute, fangs glinting eerily in the blue light streaming from the stone. She raised her slingshot and took careful aim, firing a shot at a bat's wing and another at its head. Three bats dropped to the ground like stones in the space of two seconds, but it barely seemed to affect the swarm approaching them. The cat-girl yowled and sent off another lightning-quick volley, stones disappearing into the incoming horde and tiny dark bodies dropping to the ground.

Toan's eyes narrowed in consternation before he left her to her devices, allowing the flames from the matches to start to lick the bomb's fuse hungrily. Almost as soon as it caught, Toan drew back his arm and hurled the black bomb into the midst of the oncoming swarm and prayed to the Fairy King that the bomb wouldn't blow his arm off.

He didn't hear it land over the screeching and screaming of the cave bats, but he certainly heard the resulting blast. The cave seemed to tremble as orange flames seemed to bloom among the bats, and Toan was flung roughly backwards as the shockwave hit him. Xiao yowled in panic as the bomb went off, dropping the stone she had been about to fire and covering her ears. His own eardrums felt like they had burst, and he instinctively covered his head to protect it from flying debris. Chunks of rock rained down, and when they finally stopped, Toan looked up.

Xiao glared at him as she sidestepped falling rocks and debris. "Master should give Xiao a little warning next time," she said, looking away from him and putting her nose in the air, tail twitching irritably. She was coated head to foot in dirt – no wonder she was cranky.

Toan coughed up a little dust. "I think _I'll_ need a little warning next time..." he groaned as he surveyed the wreckage. Not a single bat remained - only a large, smoking crater in the centre of the cavern. He heaved himself unsteadily to his feet, stabbing the buster sword into the ground for support.

"Terra, you think Komacho put enough _'bang'_ in that?!" He still felt a little shaky from the blast and also glad no other monsters turned up to take them out while they were weakened and recovering.

Xiao hissed again in answer, running a clawed hand through her hair and inspecting the tips for singe marks. She looked at the glowing stone, eyeing it warily. "Master ready to get out of the cave now? Xiao thinks it time to leave." There was something in Xiao's voice that brooked no nonsense, not that Toan had any desire to linger in the cave longer than he already had.

Toan nodded, rubbing his sore head as the headache got worse. Without hesitation, Toan reached out for the Atla, allowing the blue stone to glow brightly once more. As he expected, the Atla split open. A misshapen light seeming to ooze from the light and into Atlamillia. Toan's eyes widened for an instant as he recalled Xiao's earlier warning far too late.

The light cleared, and Toan's hand fell to the ground like a rock.

" _Son of a -_ " He swore violently as the stone pulsated sickly, realizing with a sinking feeling that he was unable to move his hand. Panting, he looked up at Xiao. "What's wrong with it?" He asked her desperately. He wasn't really expecting and answer, so surprise caught him when Xiao cocked an ear, seeming to listen to something Toan couldn't quite hear.

She nodded once. "Man in there, big one Xiao thinks."

 __Toan shook his head, trying to think over the numerous villagers he knew still needed their Atla recovered. _Claude then. That Atla contained Claude... but why is it so Terra-damned heavy?_ He tried to move his hand, tugging against the weight that pinned it down in vain. Gasping, he stopped.

 _I'll just warp out - I think it'll work._ He motioned for Xiao to take his free hand, trying very hard not to let panic set in. Perhaps something was wrong with the Atla, like Xiao said. What if he couldn't release Claude? What if he was stuck like this?

Xiao stared at his hand cautiously then reached out, grasping it tightly as she glared at the stone. Her tail twitched in agitation; when she met the human contained in there she was going to give him such a smack...

* * *

Toan almost felt as if the bones in his hand were pulverized by the time the Fairy King's magic deposited them back in the centre of Nolun Valley. He gasped and let go of Xiao's hand reflexively, bracing himself, gasping for breath, against the sun-baked ground.

 _Oh Terra my hand…_ he groaned as he tried to move again, struggling against the unseen weight. Xiao sprang away from him as soon as she regained her footing, and she motioned to him violently.

"Master, release the Atla!"

Sweat rolled down the side of Toan's face as he nodded desperately, trying to focus his scattered and afraid mind on the gem in his hand.

 _Damnit, I should have listened to Xiao when I had the chance,_ he gasped and clenched his teeth. Clearing his mind wasn't working – he was too panicked for that. Xiao's eyes were narrowed as she stared at the stone, the fur on her tail seeming to bristle.

"Master!" Her voice was more urgent this time, and the whole world seemed deafening and muffled suddenly, as if his head had been plunged into the Nolun pond. Toan's teeth clenched.

" _Grragh! C'mon!"_ he screamed, his voice ripping violently free from his throat, a raw and painful shout for help – _any_ help.

Something whispered into his ear, and his eyes widened for an instant.

_What…?_

Light blinded him, warmth flowed around him, engulfing his body. The light shattered, and Toan was hurled to the ground, dust rising in a cloud about his face. He coughed fitfully, allowing his lungs to clear, and in a daze he wiped his hand across his sweaty brow. Atlamillia felt hot against his skin, and he gingerly pushed himself to his feet. Xiao backed off until she stood behind him, her tail lashing.

"Terra in chaos, Toan! Took you long enough to free me from that cursed contraption!" a voice told him sternly as its owner sat up in the dust, dusting off his orange-striped vest and crossing his legs. Toan looked him up and down wordlessly. A thinning thatch of dark hair on the top of his head, round belly, bare feet…

_Definitely Claude._

"I'm sorry, Claude." Toan scratched the back of head his apologetically. "There must have been something wrong with your Atla, I usually have no problem releasing-"

Claude sighed. "I've been floating in a sphere and unable to move for Terra only knows how long! All manners of beasts and monsters have come up and sniffed me!"

Toan relaxed. There had been nothing wrong with Atlamillia – no vital malfunction of the magic he needed to restore the world. Perhaps the Fairy King had sealed Claude's Atla wrong, that he hadn't actually suspended Claude in an alternate dimension (that was the only word _for_ what the villagers had described) but left him in a half-done Atla. Toan felt his lips twitch in a smile. Everything was alright – even Xiao seemed to be calming down now. It was in that odd moment of peace that Toan realized that Claude was still speaking.

"-nearly passed out every time they came close, and when that man with the sword came by, I was sure I was saved –"

"Hey, wait!" Toan's mind raced as he held up one hand pleadingly. "What man with a sword?!"

 _If Seda_ _is still here…_ Toan's jaw hardened.

"A man, with a sword. Not much else to notice." Claude shrugged, and then chuckled. "He didn't have anything else, and he ignored my cries for help completely! A jackass to be sure."

 _You've got that right…_ Toan agreed with the man silently as he and Xiao shared a look. She grinned at him, baring long, white canines.

"Well, I'm sorry it took us so long to help you, Claude." Toan fixed his most helpful, affable smile to his face. "But we have your house all ready to be set up-"

Claude raised one hand, the look in his eyes one of earnest bafflement.

"One moment here, Toan. _What_ do you think is going on?! The last I remember from the festival was that bright light from above… What in Terra's name has been going on out here? Why is everything so sorted around? The Hag's house never used to be near Dran's windmill. Gaffer's buggy was near the town gates! And why," Claude enunciated deliberately, "do you have a stone in your hand?"

 _Not again_ , Toan groaned. Telling the story once was fine – he had to. Telling it twice was alright, because he needed the Macho's help! But every time afterwards? He was pretty certain they could have asked anybody else. No, they always said, they _had_ to hear it from him.

Toan sighed. "So, Xai, would you like to start, or should I?"

* * *

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Adventure Day Twenty-Four** _

_**Afternoon** _

Claude sniffed the air thoughtfully as he watched Toan grab the map of Nolun Village and its surrounding areas, noting the red marker scrawls that Toan had made in his efforts to at least _attempt_ to make the people of Nolun happy.

Toan frowned, leaning against the large tree and ignoring the fact that Claude was craning over his shoulder, trying to focus on the untidy markings he had made over the blank region. The Macho's house, his own house, Laura's house, the mayor's cabin – Toan carefully selected the area Claude's house had been before the destruction of Nolun and circled it with the red felt-tip, then looked up questioningly at the man.

Claude rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing in thought. "No, I'm not sure if I ever really… _liked_ that spot. Why, you ask? Well, it was built by my great-great grandfather, shortly after Nolun Forest was finally cut down. My family were quite the loggers, Toan, as I'm sure you know. But that area… well, let me tell you this. How would you like to have to walk the greatest distance to Gaffer's buggy, hm? Or be unable to smell any wonderful smells from Alnet's stove, and be stuck with Pike's greasy fish soup day after day?" Claude shook his head quickly. "No, Toan, I would not enjoy that spot at _all._ "

Toan felt a tic begin in his eyebrow. "Do you have any suggestions, Claude?"

Claude nodded again. "I was quite hoping you would ask that. You see, every year at the Centra fair, Alnet's cooking wins first prize! Quite a phenomenon, I assure you – she even has the gall to beat the capital's best chefs!" He chortled at that. Toan felt an answering smile twitch at the corners of his mouth.

"So, you see Toan? I would be quite grateful if you were to place me near Alnet's house. I'm not sure if I could stand another of Pike's fish cook-offs…"

Toan put a large 'x' over the proposed area – a quiet corner of Nolun Valley, a number of large fur trees descending from where they covered the mountains surrounding the isolated rural village. It was a nice place, to be certain. Perhaps Claude wouldn't be complaining so much if he was surrounded by such beauty…

"Just grab a box of your things and let's get them over to the area!" Toan rolled up the map quickly and shoved it through his belt and grabbed a large crate of cheese. When Claude made no movement to help him, Toan raised an eyebrow at the bigger man.

"Uh… Claude?" he ventured, balancing the splintery crate on his hip. It was a lot heavier than he had expected.

"My doctor – capital _city_ material to be certain – says I should not risk my old back injury by any strenuous physical exertion. Sorry Toan, I don't want to disobey Doctor Kraj's orders." Claude gave him a condescending pat on the head.

Claude didn't exactly _look_ sorry, Toan noticed with a silent grumble as he steadied the wooden crate. With the state the boxes were in, Toan couldn't exactly blame him for being relieved, either. Well, if Claude couldn't lift a finger to help him set up the house, then somebody might give him a hand…

Toan quickly scanned the valley – the Machos didn't seem to be home today, which was a shame. They'd have certainly helped… Pike had made a great show of visiting Renee earlier that morning, so he assumed Paige would also be there. Damn. Mayor Rorin had received some official diplomat from the distant capital city of Centra – Vorwensor. No help there… Xiao, that cat _always_ made herself scarce whenever setting up houses was concerned. She claimed it bored her senseless and abandoned Toan frequently to his task of placating the villagers. He sighed, defeated, and began to trudge off towards the area, the old blisters in his hands flaring up in protest against the weight.

Claude straggled along behind him, commenting unhelpfully on the unusually hot weather as Toan lugged box after box towards the proposed site beneath the burning sun.

Toan mopped his forehead with a corner of his dusty poncho, his entire body feeling slimy from sweat mixing with dust and cobwebs. Claude, impossibly, still accompanied him – even if he was puffing heavily and very red in the face. He had insisted on escorting Toan every single trip, explaining in great detail about which way he wanted his house to face, why, and exactly why he didn't want it _any_ other way.

The man was almost driving the silent boy up the wall with his non-stop chatter – by the time all the boxes had been moved to the proper location and Claude's house placed near Alnet's own home, Toan had a pounding, painful headache. Every time his teeth knocked together, _pain._ Every time he bent down to grab the next badly-built crate, _pain._ His muscles screamed, bands of agony flashing across his chest when he tried to breathe, nearly forcing him to drop the box where he swayed and to forget the whole idea of trying to help Claude.

Footsore, aching and a little bad tempered, Toan finally dropped the last crate near its fellows and stretched back gratefully, listening to his spine pop and crack. His muscles and arms still hurt like the Black Knight himself was sawing at the joints, but for now, he was just relieved to be rid of the dead weight. Already it felt easier to breathe now…

He seated himself on the nearest crate, allowing himself a couple of minutes to unwind before placing the foundations of the house with Atlamillia. Fishing around in his pouch, he drew a half-drained water flask and downed the remaining liquid in one large gulp before wiping away the excess with the back of his glove. The heat of the day had faded somewhat, the torches of Alnet's nearby house were already lit. If Toan squinted, he thought he could see Carl staring at them from his bedroom window.

Puffing and panting filled the fading afternoon's air, and Toan looked around in surprise. Claude sank to the ground next to Toan, his chest heaving and sweat pouring down his face. The man's brown hair was slicked back to his scalp, and Toan felt like they could both do with the break.

Toan quickly looked away and down at Atlamillia, allowing his own breathing to steady.

Claude drew a quick breath.

"Toan, have I ever told you about how I always wanted to be a professional wrestler in the Centra league?"

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Toan finally finished up at Claude's new house, and the boy trudged silently back towards the brightly-lit town-centre. A couple of people Toan was unfamiliar with – residents of Nolun all the same – looked up and waved towards him, inviting him to share in the celebration of survival. He couldn't recall their names, but he smiled politely and shrugged them off. He didn't have the stomach for celebrations tonight.

As Toan drew closer to the safe refuge of his home and bed, he finally allowed his mind to wander. Claude had told him to come back tomorrow morning to accept his reward for the complete restoration of the house; Toan was only too willing to let the whole matter rest for the time being. He was so tired… His eyelids were heavy, and he only just caught himself from falling flat on his face when he stumbled. His arms and feet were so sore, crying out for rest –

He sank to the ground at the foot of the closest tall, darkened windmill, burying his face in his hands. Now, more than ever, the feeling of indecision pressed around his head and chest, squeezing his brain and heart so tightly he felt as if they would burst right out of his body and splatter on the ground before him. The river running though the sleepy mountain valley gurgled quietly in his ear as the weary boy curled up, grateful for the privacy the windmill gave him from the eyes of the village.

The sky was dark, tiny stars sparkling fitfully beside the two moons of Terra, and relaxing him as he stared up at the galaxies and unknown powers swirling above him. How many Terras were there, hidden somewhere in the black vortex beyond knowing? How many Atlamillias, how many boys were faced with the stifling indecision that felt as if it were suffocating him?

He felt angry tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

_What the hell am_ _ I _ _supposed to do? I'm just one farm kid with nothing going for him but my father's name!_

There was no-one he could go to; the Fairy King was out of reach for all but the direst of circumstances, nobody in this tiny village had an _inkling_ of what it felt like with the massive expectation of the whole world pressing down, _down…_

"You are such a creature of habit," a soft voice commented, waking him from his reverie. Toan felt himself flush a little, and he craned his head up to look Paige in the eye. She was smiling, her hair out for a change. He sighed deeply, struggling to break out from the downwards spiral his thoughts had taken.

"Habit… habits can be calming," he nodded in the direction of the darkened village pond, folding his hands behind his head and settled back further into the long, yellowed grass at the base of the windmill. The creek's rhythmic bubbling was soothing his fried nerves, almost making it so he felt… calmer. Atlamillia glowed slightly, and Toan hastily wiped any moisture from his cheeks.

Fortunately, Paige didn't seem to notice; she was smiling ruefully at the distant figure of her father, crouched at the pond's edge, obsessively staring into the murky depths.

"That's not quite what I meant, Toan…" She sank down beside him, leaning back against the windmill's sturdy frame and staring up at the starry sky.

_\--The sound of breaking wood brought his attention to the windmill closest to the Divine Beast Cave. It was burning, slowly falling… and Paige was trapped beneath it.--_

Toan blinked and remained quiet, absently plucking a long blade of grass from the ground before clenching it between his teeth. He trusted that Paige would get to her point in due time – his best friend had never really been a patient girl. The pressure in his gut eased slightly as he tried to focus on something else. Focusing on something else _sometimes_ worked…

"Toan…" she sighed softly; it was almost so quiet he didn't hear it.

"Yeah?" The humming of the crickets seemed shrill in his ears tonight, and he contented himself to listening to the sound of the night – to the sound of Paige breathing. In the night, all his other senses seemed to be unnaturally enhanced.

She seemed to hesitate. "Everybody's… everybody's worried about you. You're pushing yourself and pushing yourself without a break."

Toan did not answer, twirling the blade of grass between his thumb and forefinger. He wondered if she thought saving the world was a part time job, something he could do when he was bored and had nothing else to do. As the silence grew between them, Paige began to struggle for more words, more things to say to somehow express what she intended.

"Toan… _I'm_ worried about you." From her, it seemed like a huge thing to admit, but she didn't notice his jump of surprise. Either that or she ignored it.

"You… seem so determined to do this thing _alone._ I don't understand it," she finished lamely, her head thudding back against the wood as she admitted defeat.

Toan stared across at her, his stomach churning. She was right… she didn't understand.

But she was _trying to._ For Toan, that meant more than anything.

"You… you do realize that you're not alone, right?" Paige asked him, uncertainty lacing her tentative voice. "You can count on me. No matter what it is."

Silence stretched on again, Toan digesting the girl's heartfelt plea carefully. How could he tell her that that reassurance was the thing he had needed the most right now? How could he ever translate his gratitude into words? The weary boy smiled.

"Thanks Paige."


	8. Windmill

_**Adventure Day Twenty Eight** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Early Morning** _

Mayor Rorin Berador had always been one of the opinion that moping never helped anybody.

It was despite all of this that the mayor of Nolun found himself in the unmistakable rut of sulking. No matter what he attempted, he could not ever seem to separate his mind from the circles of pointless anguish that he found himself mired in.

He sighed and took a long drag on his pipe, inhaling the smoke deeply, allowing it to revitalise him into a state in which he could actually _contemplate_ with his own despicable actions…

The messenger from Vorwensor had arrived early a number of mornings ago – it had been by mere chance that Rorin had been looking out the window when the tall figure had crested the hill. Immediately, the thought had crossed Rorin's mind – _they were saved._

As it had turned out, Rorin mused quietly as he stared out the window, the soldier Vikron had been a messenger sent by the distant and aloof Lord Vorwensor. Tales had reached the man's ears of an Eastern-born creature attacking the quietervillages, and suddenly Vikron had been sent scouting the areas that had been demolished –

He had very nearly told Vikron everything he knew, that it was a young boy from Nolun itself that had restored the village back to – very nearly – its former glory. That is was Toan who had the most potent of magic at his disposal, who had been told he had the power to save the world. Strictly speaking, Nolun and the regions surrounding it were ruled by the distant lord, but the valley was so isolated that it was quickly easy to forget that Nolun was a part of a much larger whole. The far-off lord could not care less for his western villages, and instead maintained a wary vigil on the border between the East and the West.

But even so, he couldn't bring himself to unleash Vikron's zeal on the boy. Perhaps it was a mistake, but he doubted it.

When the Mayor had been unable to give him any more information about the magical restoration, Vikron had left the village quickly and quietly, as sudden as he'd come.

Rorin's eyes darkened as he stared out the window, watching the morning sunshine rebound off the almost complete village, the wind blowing in the leaves of the newly-placed trees, the water trickling calmly about the township, small, sturdy windmills anchored securely. Everything – every _one_ – seemed to have been found and restored by one young boy and his strange but loyal friend.

Smoke wafted around the room, and he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. Toan had certainly lived up to his task, at least in Nolun's case – but that much had been clear from the very start. The boy loved this village, and the people in it.

 _Still_.

The fact that Vorwensor had survived the Dark Genie's wrath, and had instead taken out the villages surrounding it was confusing.

But the presence, too, of the stone was concerning, despite the patent need for a magical power to even begin restoring the world. He frowned, tapping ash from the pot of his pip absently. The Fairy King would never have given an object that was dangerous to Toan, though. He was, after all, the spirit that united nature and magic, perhaps the purest being on Blue Terra itself.

He jerked as somebody knocked at his door – an uncertain knock. Rorin sighed, his mind heavy.

 _Perhaps I should have allowed Toan to choose. Perhaps this boy wants a chance to get back at the East for everything that had happened._ He rested his face in his hands briefly, and then looked up.

"Come on it, my boy. No need to be shy." He watched as Toan carefully pushed the door open, the boy flashing him a hesitant smile as he pushed the door shut behind him. His face was thin and pale, dark shadows of bruises darkening the corner of his jaw, burns and cuts slicing all the way up his arms were carefully bandaged. A large, serrated sword had been thrust through his belt.

Berador motioned for Toan to take a seat at his table, but the boy quickly shook his head.

"Sorry, sir. I'm on my way to the Cave again." The smile became slightly strained. "I'm still looking for Gaffer's sign. I can't find it anywhere."

The mayor nodded, waving on brown, weathered hand towards his cupboards. "My storeroom will be open to you until you do, my boy. Take as much as you need – it's the least I can do for you, considering."

The boy's gratitude was all the compensation the mayor needed for the lost supplies as Toan darted to the stockroom, gathering a large number of chickens, cheese wheels and antidotes into his arms. Rorin winced as a bottle of tasty water clattered to the floor by the boy's feet, Toan bending slowly and painfully to snatch it up with the very tips of his fingers, the blue stone in his hand flashing into view for only an instant before it was concealed again behind the mountain of stock.

Rorin's lips compressed, and he tapped the long-forgotten ashes off to the side absently, watching the boy shrug out of his pack and begin to load the supplies into it. Surely, that was a few more supplies than a normal trip to Dran's cave generally took…

Toan looked up, as if sensing the mayor's sudden reserve. "Things get… harder the further you go. A statue nearly took my head off last time, and I was just lucky Xiao heard a spring nearby…" He looked away abruptly, zipping the pack shut deftly and heaving it onto his back. "But Xiao's waiting for me, so I'd better get to it… Thanks for your help, sir!"

With a quick wave and a slightly more relaxed smile, Toan was out the door before the mayor could even nod goodbye.

The mayor smiled ruefully.

"Good luck, my boy. You need it."

* * *

It had been Xiao's plan, to begin with. Xiao, seemingly so innocent – yet so very, very evil.

Not in the conventional way, Toan amended quickly as he hopped down the stairs from the mayor's house, the massive pack tearing at his shoulders with its unbelievable weight. She was more evil in a prankster kind of way – impish when she wished to be, and downright troublesome at the worst possible time.

He sighed, shading his eyes quickly from the rising sun. Already there was a buzz about the small township – they all knew that any day now Toan would find the final few Atla. The village would be restored, and everything would be as it should have been on that fateful night.

As Toan cleared the wooden staircase, a hiss to his right caught his attention. Careful not to look too startled, he casually gave them a glance, keeping his face blank and unreadable. Two figures were sitting by the large oak, the hybrid and his best friend waving for him to approach them.

There was Xiao, the cat-girl who seemed hell-bent on getting him in trouble and distracting him from his task, and _Paige_. Paige, who was supposed to be the _sensible_ one. Paige, who was supposed to be the one who told him that he was abusing his privilege and status as a 'so-called-hero'. Paige was _not_ supposed to overhear Xiao's wicked idea and wholeheartedly _agree._

He groaned slightly under his breath, trying to fight both the guilt and his own amusement and push the emotions down so far he'd never feel them again. He slowly made his way towards the two girls, feeling slightly disturbed as two identical, evil smirks appeared simultaneously on their faces.

Toan knew he was in _way_ over his head.

"So." Xiao sprang forwards, her tail twitching. "Did the Mayor give Master any problems?"

Toan shook his head mutely, vastly uncomfortable, shifting his shoulders to relieve some of the tension. The pack was far too heavy for him – he just wanted to let it slide to the ground and forget about the whole thing.

Paige smiled and leaned forwards. Toan allowed his eyes to flicker over her – she wore her hair in a long, dark braid, a long, red skirt and a simple brown shirt. He dropped his eyes to the ground quickly. Her booted feet came into his limited view of the world, crunching in the gritty, dry grass.

"Then you have the goods?" he heard her ask him in a quiet voice.

He nodded reluctantly, his hands tightening involuntarily on the supplies. "But I really don't feel like we should –"

Xiao's clawed hand gripped his shoulder, and she flashed him a grin full of sharp teeth. "If the mayor wanted Master to _not_ take advantage of the supplies, he would have said so!"

She really wasn't getting the point, Toan realized desperately. He looked from Paige to Xiao in quick succession. "Yes, but he didn't say we could –"

Paige grabbed his other shoulder, and Toan winced as the joint flashed with pain. "Lighten up, Toan. Live a little. It's just some harmless fun!" Her voice was persuasive, begging him to yield. Toan felt his resolve wavering, and he cursed himself. Doing this… even as amoral as it was… it sent a buzz through him, an adrenaline rush he'd only ever experienced within the cave.

Looking from face to face, Toan knew he was beat. He allowed a sigh to escape his lips. "Fine…"

The girl's smile stretched wider as she released her grip and clapped him on the shoulder. Toan's eyebrows drew together tightly as he watched the fisherman's daughter march off towards their usual destination. He vaguely wondered what Pike would do if he found out his daughter were involved in such a nefarious activity. Probably laugh it off and support it, Toan realized sourly. Was he really the only one in Nolun with the slightest hint of morals?

Toan sighed as Xiao pushed him 'gently' in the direction Paige was heading, towards the run-down cottage near the centre of the town, not a long walk from where Gaffer's buggy was. Carl had dubbed the kindly (if scattered) old woman 'the Hag', and it had unfortunately stuck. The grassy lot stood before the imposing, near-completed Greater Windmill. Quaint, quiet and unassuming, the yard was filled with fragments of broken pottery and overgrowing weeds.

Back before the harvest night incident, Toan had sometimes helped the Hag clean up the area around her house for a few extra gilda. Now, he barely had enough time to scratch himself since the attack and the beginning of his mission. But looking at the rundown yard made his stomach clench, a bitter feeling of regret come to his throat.

The Hag was dozing lightly on the wooden bench, the morning sun warming her, and didn't wake as the three walked through the rusty gate. Toan, despite himself, looked surreptitiously back at the Mayor's house, trying to shake the feeling of guilt from his mind. Surely, Paige wouldn't have gone along with this if it were _wrong –_ although he wasn't entirely certain if Xiao _knew_ the difference between right and wrong yet…

From where he stood, Toan could see the semblance of construction around the base of the large, spiritual windmill – although it seemed to have stalled for the moment. Pike had pushed a belligerent Carl into the stream before stealing the boy's sodden cap.

In spite of himself, Toan chuckled quietly before reigning in his attention. The village would be finished by tomorrow, if the Mayor's estimations had been correct. That is, provided that Paige and Xiao would let him give up that final piece of –

Paige gave Toan a quick look as she reached out one tanned hand to the sleeping Hag's shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. The Hag's snores ceased abruptly and suddenly Toan found himself fixed on the spot with a pair of bright, if bloodshot, eyes.

"Ah, young Toan and little Paige, is it?" the Hag croaked in a low voice, giving Xiao a warm smile – the old woman was never able to recall the hybrid's names, even at the best of times. "My, my, the two of you have certainly grown from the little blighters who used to smash my pots and run!"

Toan felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment, but cleared his throat to speak anyhow. "Y-yeah, we were just stupid kids…"

Xiao sprang forwards on the balls of her feet, her tail and ears flickering back and forth in her barely-contained excitement. "Master Toan has a few things to store in your cupboard!"

Both Toan's and Paige's eyes cut towards Xiao, frowning slightly.

 _Haven't you ever heard of tact?_ Then Toan noticed the same look on Paige's face and abruptly changed his expression to a forced smile.

The Hag chuckled, seeming not to notice the parallels between the two young villagers. Slowly, feeling around for her cane, the silver haired woman lifted herself to her feet and took Paige's offered arm. The Hag leaned against Paige for support; she began to totter towards her front door, pushing open the scarred door. Toan, feeling useless and guilty, motioned for Xiao to follow himself into the small house. The hybrid's ears twitched as she followed her master into the coolness of the house, skipping up the rickety steps.

As they entered, Toan's eyes fell on the pile of items already packed into the Hag's tightly-stocked cupboard. As part of a reward for completing her house, the old woman had offered Toan use of her storage areas for items he could no longer carry on him. Of course, Xiao had immediately seen the _benefits_ of using the cupboard. Store the supplies the Mayor gave them, return and ask for some more.

He turned quickly to unload his pack, ignoring the pleasantries Paige, Xiao and the Hag exchanged behind him. It wasn't that he… well, he did kind of disapprove. But honestly? He liked that buzz, and he liked it even better when he wasn't risking life and limb in the caves to get it.

Toan quickly stowed the final flask of antidote in the mildewy cupboard and rose to his feet, dusting his knees off. He almost forgot to fix a smile to his face before he turned around.

"Well, that should probably do us for now… _right_ Xiao? Paige?" Toan crossed his arms before his chest, frowning at the pair of girls. It had _better_ suit them for now. He wasn't sure if the Mayor would appreciate another visit for the rest of the day. On top of that, there were still a few things missing, and a few things to be done around the village before Toan sought out Dran.

Paige nodded. "Thankyou very much, ma'am. Toan appreciates your kindness," she said, giving the Hag a quick smile before she tapped Xiao on the shoulder to follow her out. Xiao mewed obediently, and both girls vanished outside. Toan felt a muscle in his eyebrow twitch as he watched them go. Exactly _whose_ cat was Xiao supposed to be?

The Hag smiled after them fondly before turning to him. Her eyes looked tired, her face worn. Not for the first time did Toan wonder if she would live to see him return from saving the world…

"A lively pair," she commented quietly, sitting stiffly at the old table, motioning for Toan to take a seat next to her. After he was seated, the Hag sighed.

Toan's eyebrows drew together in concern.

"I truly do not wish to add to your burdens, Toan." The Hag's bloodshot eyes stared the front window of her house, seeming to focus on something far, far away. He followed the path of her eyes, wondering what she was staring at. The incomplete visage of Dran's Windmill loomed on the horizon, the massive blades propped up against the stone building before the men of the town could hoist them up and fix them in place.

_I see now._

"I have one final favour to ask of you… It's Dran." There was a slight hesitation before she rushed onwards. "He is the protector of our tiny village, he has saved us when the gods have deserted us. I cannot help but think…" the old lady trailed off, her voice uncertain.

Toan nodded in agreement, casting his mind back to the cave on the fringes of the villages. What had he felt that very first time he had entered the Divine Beast Cave? That indescribable feeling of wrongness and taint… Toan's eyes narrowed in thought.

"His lack of presence during the reconstruction… troubles me," the Hag admitted, clasping her hands in her lap. Toan could have sworn he saw the ghost of a sob... "I believe he is in trouble. Toan… please. Find Dran and check up on him. Even if it's just an old lady's senselessness… I truly am worried about him."

Toan met her eyes honestly, feeling a deep pain in his heart at the old woman's tears.

"Ma'am, I will do what I can. I promise I will try to find Dran and see if he's… alright." He didn't have it in him to mention the wrongness in the Cave, or the Fairy King's suspicions. He didn't have the heart to worry her any more than he had to.

If Toan had any qualms about withholding information, they quickly vanished in light of the grateful smile the Hag gave him.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Twenty-Nine** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Afternoon** _

Toan sighed heavily, resting his head in his hands as he pushed his way into his barn. Why did everything seem so noisy today? He could hear Xiao messing around with the barrels outside, he could hear the wind murmuring in the trees, the earth seemed to give off this constant _hum_ –

Abruptly, the boy pulled the door of the barn shut, taking a seat at the new workbench. Aga's book still lay open, the surface of the desk covered in a jumble of elemental gems, the barebones of one of Xiao's new slingshots and a fine layer of excess repair power and cleaning oil. Toan casually traced a few swirling patterns into the powder, doing his damnedest not to look at where Gaffer's sign lay in a hay-covered corner of the barn.

It had really been Xiao's idea to 'forget' to fix Gaffer's cart up completely, so they could continue to receive free items from the Mayor.

Ignoring it for now, Toan reached for the gourd of water at his side to help ease his pounding headache, before pushing himself back from the workbench. He pinched the bridge of his nose as the world seemed to murmur and whisper around him.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Midday** _

"So after that baby is hammered into Dran's windmill, Nolun's done and dusted… right?" Macho asked, wiping his sweaty brow on the back of his wrist as he dropped the large coil of rope he'd liberated from Gaffer's buggy. Toan hid a small smile – he doubted that Macho had paid. What a Macho Brother wanted, a Macho Brother got…

"Talk about selective hearing… didn't he hear that there's gonna be work to do for years to come?" Komacho growled under his breath as he added a number of heavy-duty pulleys to the growing pile of equipment needed to hoist the windmill blades. Of course, Toan had offered to simply attach it with the incredible power of Atlamillia, but he'd been surprised when he'd been turned down. The villagers of Nolun… they wanted to do the finishing touch themselves.

It was rather inspiring, in a way.

Pike laughed loudly. "Can't wait to get this place back to normal. I've already had enough of this damn Dark Genie to last me a lifetime! Right, Toan?" The boy smiled half-heartedly as Paige's father elbowed his in the ribs, feeling a little ill.

He was fairly certain Pike hadn't _meant_ to remind him of his looming destiny. Not everyone realised what he'd have to do once Nolun, as Macho had put it, was 'done and dusted'. With an effort, Toan pushed the thoughts from his head and looked around the base of Dran's windmill.

For once, Xiao was in the thick of things rather than beating a rapid retreat at the first whiff of work. Maybe it had something to do with him threatening to withhold the fish-candy he'd found by the village pond unless she helped, Toan thought with a slightly twisted smile.

It was a bit of payback for forcing him to undertake the Great Item Heist.

The hybrid actually looked entertained as Alnet and Renee explained the process of lifting the blades, so Toan figured that was a plus. Then he frowned thoughtfully. The only person who hadn't turned out to help was Paige – usually she was bossing people around and generally making herself a nuisance. He shrugged. He was sure she'd turn up at some point, or he'd go and drag her out of her room.

It was in spite of his distraction that the _noise_ began to press against his eardrums and mind, the immense pressure was suffocating, whispering to him in words he was unable to understand…

_Ghe sei karan go klevra soran aa…_

Almost fighting the inescapable gravity, Toan felt his eyes drawn towards his wrist. Atlamillia glimmered on the back of his hand temptingly, the swirling blues inviting him to stray into the stone's depths until he no longer had to worry about such _inconsequential_ things like his village, the world…

"Hey! Short-man!" A voice hollered from over near the windmill, and Toan jerked back to himself. He looked around, blinking as he tried to regain his bearings, trying to gauge how much time he'd lost while he'd been absorbed in his own mind. Enough time for Pike, Macho and Komacho to have set up the pulley-network that would help them hoist the blades, it seemed. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, clenching the hand that bore the stone at his side as he righted his mind.

_What was that? I… Atlamillia…_

The whispers in the air rose again slightly, but Toan turned and jogged back to the base of Dran's windmill. The smooth-cut stone base seemed packed with the few members of Nolun Village, but Toan easily pushed his way though the sea of familiar faces. He started forwards to grab his end of the rope, but Gaffer held up a gnarled hand.

"Easy does it, son," the old trader told him. "You've done enough."

Toan watched Xiao flit through the crowds towards him, obviously believing herself liberated from the duty he'd entrusted to her. "But Gaffer, I'd really like to-"

"I know." Gaffer smiled. "You're a good lad, but you can't do it all."

The boy paused, frowning. He could. If they had just let him use the power of Atlamillia, he could easily do it all. He sighed. It was easier to just let the stubborn villagers of Nolun have their way than to waste the energy on arguing.

Macho whistled piercingly. "Hey! Are you lolly-gaggers ready to witness the awesome strength of the Macho Brothers-"

There was a yelp as Komacho thwacked his brother upside the head.

"Bro, quit crampin' my style," the younger brother complained, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head sheepishly. There was a slight chortle from where Laura and her niece Gina stood with Alnet and Carl, but otherwise, there was only anticipatory silence as Pike, Macho, Komacho and the Mayor heaved on the ropes linking the pulley network. Slowly, the blades lifted into the air, and with a great, creaking _bang,_ the heavy blades of Dran's Windmill settled onto the wooden framework. As ropes were looped around the blades to secure them temporarily, Pike hollered for a ladder. The Mayor and Laura obliged, carrying each end between the two of them.

Toan's lips twitched in a smile as he watched them. All too clearly, he recalled Laura's rather stringent requests for her house placement. His top priority, he had been assured, was to make sure her house was away from the Mayor's – she couldn't stand all his 'dreadful, clanging machines'.

Of course, Toan had obliged, but the memory still stayed with him. Even a peaceful, country village like Nolun had its cracks it its unity. Alnet was freaked out by the Machos. Laura hated the Mayor's machines…

He saw the Hag, watching the hubbub from the shade of her porch, smiling as Pike scurried up the ladder to fix the blades to the framework more permanently. If all the villager's requests had been as easily done and selfless as hers had been, he'd have been done several days prior.

A cheer rose up from the small crowd of villagers as Pike pulled away from the windmill, giving those below him a flippant thumbs-up. Toan couldn't help but smile wider. Finally, the last remaining Atla had been locked into place. His stomach did an odd sort of backflip.

 _ **Nearly**_ _every piece,_ the sensible voice in the back of his head told him reprovingly. _Gaffer's sign is still waiting._

Xiao appeared at his elbow, almost without warning. The hybrid grabbed his arm in a full-body hug, purring with delight.

"Alnet said Dran's Windmill would be grand, but Master forget to tell Xiao just how big it would be!" the cat-girl informed him with a toothy grin.

Toan sighed. "Do you even know who Dran is for us, Xiao?"

"Nope." The grin grew wider. "Xiao couldn't care less – though Xiao is looking forwards to that fish candy that Master promised." Her tone was a little pointed towards the end.

"Oh." Toan quickly strode over to the pack he'd left near one of the torches of Dran's Windmill, rifling around in his pockets and pack, until he finally came up with the promised prize. It was warm, softened by the summer heat, but Xiao snatched it from his outstretched hand and began chewing on it greedily. She grinned at him through a mouthful of blue candy, and he couldn't help but smile back. In spite of her more cattish tendencies, she was a good friend.

As the crowd around the windmill began to finally disperse, Toan and Xiao were left alone, staring up at the giant blades.

"Supposedly, the blades are meant to carry magical properties," Toan told the cat, watching as the blades began to turn in the breeze. "Healing, soothing, dreams- nobody really knows." He turned his eyes to Xiao again. "That's why the Hag chose to be out here, even though it's away from everyone else. She wants whatever magic is in this place… whatever it does."

"A silly superstition," a voice drawled from behind them. "As bad as one of my dad's fishing tales, even."

Toan turned, raising an eyebrow at Paige. She was leaning on the railings atop the stone steps, giving Xiao a small wave. As if to mock him, she raised her eyebrows too.

"What, don't tell me you believe that?" she asked, obviously amused at the idea.

He shook his head. "What does it matter, if I believe?" He raised his left hand, Atlamillia clearly visible against the worn leather of his glove. Magic wasn't just a superstition to him, any longer.

Paige seemed to back off a little, though it didn't stop her from rolling her eyes.

"So anyway, I've finished off that gift my dad promised you. For fixing our house, and all. And putting us to close to that Terra-damn pond."

"If it's a fishing pole, please, I already have –" Toan began hurriedly, but halted when Paige waved off his words.

"As if that pernickety old fool would give away another of his precious rods?" she asked with a hint of a sigh. "What I made, maybe it'll help you a little… doing those things you do," she finished awkwardly, and there was a brief moment of silence.

_She has as much difficulty as I do in accepting this is real – not a nightmare._

Toan nodded suddenly, smiling at her. "I'm sure it'll help, Paige," he told her quietly. Perhaps it would – either way, what else could he say to his oldest childhood friend?

Seeming to be a little relieved, Paige grabbed his arm and began to steer him down the beaten dirt road to Pike's small house. Paige's chatter filled the usual silence, often switching subjects on the fly, almost at random – one moment she'd be talking about the village bonfire that was to be held tonight in celebration, the next she'd be talking abut how Laura continued to treat her like a child and lumping her with that brat Carl and Gina. For the most part, Toan tried to follow the topics, as tenuous as the links were. Xiao didn't even do that much, instead preferring to watch the villagers move about the village, her long ears flickering about.

It was within no time at all that the three arrived in front of Pike's house. Paige released her hold on Toan's arm, now certain he wasn't going to run off and find something more urgent to attend to, and lead them into the sunny home. Toan looked around the small kitchen, a little awed by the sight of the massive icebox in the corner of the room. It was filled to overflowing with large fish – most likely they were Pike's contribution to the bonfire that night, even if there was enough food there to feed a small army and their llamas…

He didn't even have time to blink before Xiao was upon the chest of Nilers, Gummies and Gobblers.

 _Oh for Terra's sake,_ Toan growled mentally, palming his forehead before marching over to let Xiao know _why_ she wasn't meant to eat the fish 'just lying around'. Apparently the hybrid subscribed to the philosophy, "finders keepers". He let her know that he'd keep it in mind the next time he uncovered some fish candy.

Xiao sat down at the table so fast he could have sworn she'd left false images behind her. Empty-handed, of course, but who knew how long that threat would work?

Stifling his own laughter, Toan turned back to Paige.

"What was it you had for me?" he asked, while trying to keep an eye on Xiao.

"So blunt," Paige sighed dramatically. "Haven't either of you ever heard of 'tact'?"

He nearly burst into laughter again. Hadn't he thought something similar that day at the Hag's home? Perhaps he and Xiao were more alike than he'd thought…

"Tact is for humans, not Xiao or Master," the feline at the table yawned widely, beginning to fidget again.

Paige stared at the hybrid for a moment, blinking a little. "Of course… how silly of me to forget…" Shaking her head, she sighed. "Well, it's upstairs in my loft. I'll bring it down, just gimme a sec."

The dark haired girl was gone in a flash of braids and skirts, jogging up the stairs to the loft. Toan watched her go, wondering what it was that she was so determined to give him. As the seconds began to pass, he took a leaf out of Xiao's book and took a seat that the well-worn wooden table. He could hear a lot of things being moved around up in the loft, and the occasional curse from the girl up there. A tick began in his left eyelid, and he forced himself to focus elsewhere. Staring at the fruit bowl in the centre of the table didn't seem to help much, he realized.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he looked over to Xiao. Sitting there, with her clawed hands folded – she looked disturbingly innocent.

"…what do you think it is?" he asked hesitatingly. Making random conversation had never been his strength, but it was better than sitting there in a silence occasionally interrupted by Paige's cursing. He could swear that that girl had a mouth on her worse than her father's.

Xiao looked thoughtful, but then her ears laid back and a sly grin crossed her face. " _Maybe_ Paige wants to give Master a kiss?"

His face felt like it were afire as he quickly looked away from the hybrid, crossing his arms across his chest and staring resolutely out the window to the pond. What did Xiao know? She was just pulling ideas out of the air so he'd get embarrassed! He felt another tick begin in his eyebrow as he realized Xiao still had that Terra-damn grin on her face.

There was a shout of triumph from up the stairs.

"See! I knew I could find it!" Paige declared as she started down the stairs, her arms full of… leather belts? The tick in Toan's eyebrow became more pronounced.

 _What in Terra is that thing?_ He eyed the girl as she stepped closer, a smirk on her face. Hopefully, his pointed stare would spur her to… explain it to him.

Paige dumped her armload onto the wooden table, knocking the fruit bowl aside carelessly. Toan stared at it, then at Paige. Hopefully, she wouldn't ask him what he thought yet-

"So! What do you think?" she asked brightly.

 _The Fairies must hate me,_ he decided at that point, taking a hold of one leather strap. The leather looked worn and old, perhaps the remains of an old harness.

"It's…" he swallowed, his mind still working furiously. "It's rather-"

"-weird," Xiao finished for him. "What does Paige's gift do?"

Paige grabbed one of the buckles, her eyebrows drawn into a scowl. "It's something Toan can use, to carry all those swords around at once! I thought it was obvious."

Toan winced as Xiao rolled her eyes.

"Er, help me try it on then?" he asked quickly, hoping he could defuse the imminent explosion. He nearly collapsed in relief as Paige's scowl faded into a smile again.

"Sure! Now… this goes like that… no, no, _over_ your shoulder, not under!" she fussed, pulling the straps in the right direction. It was a busy few seconds as Paige and a heartily-snickering Xiao resized the leather belts so that it fit closely to his bony frame. Finally, both cat and girl stepped back to admire their hard work.

 _I feel like a seamstress' mannequin,_ he thought sourly, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks burned.

"There! I knew it'd work out!" his childhood friend declared loudly, clapping him on the shoulder. Toan snorted softly, before forcing himself to look at Paige's gift. The straps were a little tight about his chest and shoulders, but he figured he'd be able to adjust that as he needed. The majority of the many loops and buckles were gathered behind his back, allowing him to move freely.

Experimentally, Toan went though a few of his more basic exercises. He tried to believe he actually held a sword in his hands, rather than empty air. Feeling a little foolish as Xiao continued to snicker, he silently concluded that Paige's battle harness did the job. Toan let himself relax, rotating his left shoulder in an effort to loosen the tense muscles.

Nodding to both his ally and his friend, Toan felt himself smile.

"Thanks."

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Night** _

Toan sat quietly, lingering on the edge of the bonfire's light. His large oak tree spread above him in a protective canopy, alive with the chirps of crickets, the sounds of life. It was a far cry from the deserted flat he'd seen that fateful morning after the Dark Genie's brutal attacks. There had been life, but of such a small and hopeless scale it had seemed impossible for things to ever be normal again. Everything teemed with life now, and Toan couldn't help but be distracted by even the subtlest sign of it.

He was still wearing the battle harness Paige had concocted for his use in the cave – to show it off, he'd claimed, and successfully avoided further questioning. Pike had been most impressed with his daughter's handiwork, and if only she directed this much effort into helping him fish…

Alnet had finally given up on keeping Carl from being the little hell-raiser he wished to be, and the boy wore down the two men trying to spit Pike's fish over the large bonfire. Or, at least he had been, until his sister saw Komacho take a serious swing at Carl's head with his flute after finding it stuffed with mashed potato. Odd Gaffer, who'd been helping up until that point, began to wheeze with laughter, but both Laura and Alnet had not been amused. They took it upon themselves to berate the beleaguered man about setting a _non-violent_ example for the younger generation.

"I do not wish to see Gina grow up to be a thug." Renee's sister had finished with a sniff, before moving off to help her sister Renee tend to the warmed mead.

As the guest of honour, Toan had started the night as the centre of everyone's attention. Without him, the Mayor had announced in front of the villagers, Nolun might never have recovered from such a crippling blow from the East. Claude, just a little bit drunk on Renee's stronger wine, had tearfully told Toan he would die for him. A little uncomfortable, Toan had just smiled and nodded.

Soon after, as the festival began in earnest, Toan felt himself fading into the background of things. Nobody seemed to notice – not that he truly minded.

Toan stared up at the canopy above him, absently plucking his habitual blade of grass and twirling it before his eyes. Even now, he felt… restless. Uneasy. The smile plastered on his face felt fake and strained, like it wasn't meant to be there. Like there was something left to do.

He'd never really told most of them that it was far from over – only the Mayor and the Hag seemed to grasp the enormity of the task before him.

Somehow, Toan was to find the missing Divine Beast Dran and discover why the village guardian had been absent since the attack. Though Dran was usually a solitary creature by habit, surely he would have made some sort of appearance before now, if things were well with him.

Toan had the sinking feeling that things were going to get worse, before they got better.

There was a flare of light next to the bonfire, before the sky exploded into colourful flowers of fire. He was on his feet, groping for his nonexistent sword before he caught himself. Fireworks from Queens, Toan realized, forcing himself to pretend to relax again, as cheers went up from the gathered crowd of villagers. For a second, he'd thought it'd returned to finish the job…

He sighed. Now was probably the right time, when the people of Nolun were distracted and the attention was away from him. He tapped the huge trunk of the tree deliberately. Xiao sprang down from the massive branches of the oak, landing almost soundlessly beside him as he rounded the tree and stepped into the dark. Bending down, he patted around for the swords he had stowed there, earlier that day. Hidden within the roots of the tree, they had been safe from prying eyes.

Toan carefully unwound the red cloth from around the sax, sliding it through the looped straps of his harness and securing in into place. The buster sword was removed from its own blue wrappings, sliding silently in beside the sax.

Breathing shakily out, he looked at Xiao.

"Did you get it?" Everything in this plan to sneak away without worrying the villagers hinged on this – hinged on Xiao's ability to track down the item he needed.

He needn't have worried. Xiao flashed him a wicked grin, holding out her clawed hand to him. In it, was a large, iron key. Wrought ornately, it was complete with the rumoured horns and feathered insignia of Dran. A gaudy thing, there was really no mistaking the Horned Key to Dran's inner caves.

"Has Xiao ever failed Master before?" the cat teased, passing him the key. "Divine Beast should not keep things in such obvious places if he wishes to keep intruders out."

He snorted. "Make sure you tell him that, because I'm not brave enough."

There was another _bang_ from near the bonfire, as another firework went off. The colours flooded the sky, yellows, reds, blues…

"Did you get everything else?" Toan looked about himself. It had been easy enough to stow the weapons in the tangled roots of the oak, but he'd been at a loss with what to do with the packs they needed for this final foray into the caves.

Xiao nodded, before scrambling back up into the branches of the oak. Her pack crashed to the ground, just right of here Toan had been standing. He had to jump backwards to avoid his own pack from being dropped on his head.

As Xiao landed lithely on the ground beside him, Toan had to pause, frowning. It was going to be difficult to position the belted sheathes for his swords so his pack wasn't going to interfere with them… somehow, with Xiao's help and a few muttered curses, he managed to position the two blades at either side of his pack. A little out of breath, he looked at Xiao.

"Ready?" he asked, hating that his voice betrayed him with a slight tremble.

Xiao gave him a thumbs up, and Toan smiled, before taking her arm gently. Placing his free fingers to his forehead, warm light suffused them as they went to find the patron of Nolun Village, the Divine Beast Dran.

As Nolun faded out of view, Toan thought vaguely to himself, _Maybe we'll be back before they even notice we're missing… I hope so._


	9. Roar of the Beast

_**Adventure Day Thirty-One** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Morning** _

Despite having stayed up most of the previous night feasting and listening to the music of the festival, Renee was up with the rise of the sun. She was far too used to her morning routine to force herself to sleep in, even if the weariness in her body was still evident and her eyes a little bloodshot. The vegetable patch didn't sow itself, and Gaffer was just as like to sell the seeds she needed if she wasn't at his buggy by noon.

So it was with a groggy head and sleep in her eyes that Renee hauled herself out of bed and down into the kitchen to fix herself a light breakfast. As she sliced up yesterday's bread, she listened for her son's telltale mumbles, and Xiao's loud purrs. Hearing nothing from where they slept up in the loft, she shook her head and continued. Those two were likely out in the barn, practicing. She didn't really expect much else from her dutiful son.

She quickly finished up the makeshift meal of bread, cheese and some cold chicken before she moved from the kitchen, giving into her urge to check for certain if Toan and Xiao really were up. She jogged up the steps to the loft, glancing at her son's room quickly. The bed was made, the weapons gone. She nodded to herself. They were definitely up.

Shrugging, Renee moved outside her home to greet the new day. She really wasn't all that tired, and she wasn't dragging her feet. Of course not.

She cocked her head, listening. Just the usual sound of the river and wind in the trees – she frowned then. There was something missing from the usual routine of the morning. Sure, Macho was doing his laps of the village; Alnet was already at Gaffer's buggy buying supplies. The remnants of the bonfire still smouldered, leaving the morning air with a slightly greasy tang. Nobody had bothered to clean up the leftovers of last night's celebrations, Renee noted.

As she stared around the village, the realization hit her.

That was it. She couldn't hear Toan training with Xiao this morning. Usually they were out behind the house by now, practicing from that tattered old book Toan had come across somehow. Her frown deepening, Renee rounded the side of her home, giving Woolly his obligatory pat as she passed.

No, she was right. They weren't out here this morning – it set her stomach churning. He was a big boy now, she reminded herself forcefully as she stared about the township. He'd been into the caves for days on end, there was no need to worry. Unable to help herself, Renee approached the wide barn door at the back of their house and gently pushed it open.

Neither the cat nor her son was in there. Occasionally they'd tamper with the gems they'd found in the cave, repair their weapons, or puzzle out the uses of items. No sign of that today – the book was shut and the repair powder gone. The Sax and Buster Sword weren't there either, nor the variety of slingshots Xiao had collected.

Renee's lips thinned as she looked about the barn. In the corner, there appeared to be the remnants of Odd Gaffer's sign for his buggy. She raised an eyebrow, as the old man had been asking after it recently. Toan had sworn he hadn't found it yet…

Mentally noting to hand over the sign to Gaffer when she made her rounds this morning, Renee left the barn. There was really no need for her to worry about Toan. He had Xiao with him; he'd always been back by afternoon when he'd gone into the cave without warning.

When night fell and Toan and Xiao were still nowhere in sight, Renee had to admit to herself that maybe the pair of them weren't okay, after all.

* * *

Toan threw himself desperately to the ground as fire scorched over the top of him, the Sax clattering to the ground from the impact, the handful of bomb nuts he'd taken from his pack rolling across the cave floor. He groaned as Atlamillia flared, rolling to the side as a pair of diamond-sharp claws gouged into the rock beside him.

_Holy-_

Dran bellowed, drawing back his paw and slashing for Toan once more. The boy rolled away again, finally taking that as his cue to get up on his feet and _run._ Snatching up the Sax as he went, he sprinted away from the massive guardian of Nolun Village to the outcropping where Xiao had taken cover earlier. He slid behind the rocks just as fire surged behind him – gasping and trying to ignore the sting of the new grazes on his knees, he realized vaguely that had he been half a second slower, he'd have been dead.

Xiao paused from pelting the guardian beast with pebbles, her brown eyes quickly appraising Toan as she reached into her pack and shoved a heel of bread in his mouth.

"Eat!" the cat whispered harshly. "Master needs to stay focused and alive!"

She flung herself around the crystal bluff and into the larger chamber. Toan flinched as he heard Dran roar loudly enough to shake the cave floors – never had he imagined the power of Nolun's protector to be so great…

It had all been going well when they'd stolen away from the village celebrations, and it was easy enough to battle their way to the Horned Gate. At those depths, the only foes they could find were dragons and opar. Skeleton soldiers, bats and Dashers had long since stopped being frequent, though he and Xiao could now easily handle the tougher enemies.

That was, until, they'd come to the Horned Gate itself. Bearing the stone image of Dran's face, the doors to the divine guardian's inner sanctum were _huge._ Toan stared up at them wordlessly, his thumbs tucked into the shoulder straps of his pack.

After all their efforts, they'd finally made it to the final part of the cave. They'd made it to Dran, and it would all be up from there.

In hindsight, it was almost cruel to think how wrong he was.

Toan drew the Horned Key from his pockets, a little apprehensive. He could easily remember the Mayor's words on that first day, and the Hag's request was still fresh in his mind. Find Dran, and find out what was keeping him from coming to their aid. For all that Dran was a bit of a recluse, nothing should have stopped him from surfacing by now…

And then there were the Fairy King's words of warning, the sick feeling of the taint in the caves, the presence of that mysterious, black-clad Seda and the insane power he'd wielded.

"Are you ready?" he suddenly asked, turning to Xiao. He wouldn't go through with this yet if she wasn't going to cope.

The hybrid gave him an energetic thumbs-up. "Master knows that Xiao was born ready."

He smiled, and fitted the gaudy Horned Key into the lock on the gate.

And that was when it all went downhill. He still remembered the relief when Dran came to the high-up ledge of the inner caves – and then the horror as Atlamillia glowed red in danger and Dran swooped down on his massive wings.

The Fairy King materialized next to them, his eyes determined.

"Be careful, Toan! Seems that Dran is being manipulated."

Xiao braced herself on the cave wall as Dran landed before them. His eyes were wild, the normally white sclera now pitch black. Toan swallowed, his fingers twitching to the hilt of the Buster Sword.

"Xiao could have told you that part!" the hybrid admonished the King, though her voice was a little above a terrified squeak. Dran turned his head towards them, his eyes rolling, letting out a massive roar. The floor trembled beneath them.

"There's no choice but to fight him. Use your power to break the spell!"

 _What power?!_ Toan mentally demanded, even as he felt himself nod and draw the Buster Sword from the sheaths on his back. _Whatever power I have,_ he realized grimly as Dran let out another earth-shattering bellow at them.

He'd done even worse against the Divine Beast than he'd ever dare to admit. Every strike against Dran had been repelled by leather-tough hide beneath the feathers and fur, the Buster Sword and even the Sax failing to land a solid hit on the beast.

Even when he put enough power behind the blades to break the bones of even a dragon, the blows simply bounced off. Xiao's pebbles did nothing but annoy the Divine Beast, and _damn_ that creature was fast.

Xiao yowled, forcing Toan back to the present. She slid back behind the outcropping, her white smock soot-streaked and still smouldering in some places. She was pressing a hand to her left shoulder, her breathing a little forced.

"Xiao got a little careless," she forced out between her clenched teeth as she started to fish around in her pack for a cube of cheese with her good arm.

Toan's stomach dropped. Even someone of Xiao's speed and surety of foot got hit in the end. It was his fault she'd gotten hurt. If only he'd been better, stronger, then she wouldn't have had to cover for him while he'd tried to regain his wits about the fight-

Gritting his teeth, he shouldered the Sax and stepped out to meet the Divine Beast.

 _I'm not a kid who can just run away when the going gets tough,_ Toan asserted to himself. _I've got to do this, and win._

He glanced back behind the outcrop. She'd join him when she was ready again, he knew that.

Dran roared, pawing the ground like an enraged bull. Toan felt himself flinch, but he stood steady, only adjusting his grip on the heavy Sax. He had to stay strong – he couldn't give up now. Xiao was depending on him. Everyone was depending on him.

Suddenly, Dran shot towards him, gliding faster than Toan thought was possible. He gathered himself, pivoting out of the way of the beast and slamming the flat of his blade into Dran's side. The Divine Beast snarled, head whipping around to maul the boy with his jaws.

Toan rolled out of the way, parrying the downwards swing of Dran's claws and thrusting towards the beast's face. The blade skittered off the beast's snout, but gave Toan the benefit of a brief hit-stun to score a slash on the Divine Beast's shoulders.

Dran was still shaking his head to clear it from the stun when the brown and white blur that was Xiao attached herself to his face, landing a quick slash over the beast's eye and then vaulting onto the winged guardian's back.

"Xiao!" Toan yelled, blocking the wild swipe Dran made that would have caved in his ribs had he not stopped it. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Xiao's ears were flat back against her head as she gripped the Divine Beast between her legs and drew back the rubber of her upgraded Bandit slingshot. Her fangs bared in a snarl, she loosed the stone into the back of Dran's head. It impacted with a solid _thunk_ , causing Dran to shake his head again, bucking wildly to get the cat off his back. Toan's eyes widened.

 _She's creating a distraction so I get a chance to go some real damage. He can't focus if she keeps pounding his skull with rocks!_ It was so _obvious…_ Toan blocked a distracted strike from Dran's forelegs and rammed his sword against the beast's side again. It did no more damage, but… they were doing better than they were before.

Fire scorched to his right, but this time, it was easily dodged. He drew back his blade, slashing for the beast's side once more.

Blood spattered the cave floor as Toan finally opened up a decent blow on Dran. The Sax's serrated edge glistened wetly – Toan would deal with the moral quandary of having wounded the Divine Beast _later,_ when said Divine Beast wasn't howling for his blood in return.

The beast screamed in agony, the bucking and shaking growing even more desperate and fierce to rid himself from Xiao's distracting rocks. Xiao hissed defiantly, digging her claws into his fur deeply to keep from being thrown. Toan watched, his heart in his throat, as she swung to the side to dodge a powerful strike from one of Dran's hind legs. The claws dragged out a few of the beast's feathers and strands of fur as he missed the cat by mere inches.

Letting out a bone-shaking snarl, Dran spread his massive wings and launched himself unsteadily into the air. Toan's eyes widened as Xiao clung to the beast's back, her ears flat back and a look of fear on her face-

" _XIAO!"_ he yelled, grabbing a few of Dran's feathers from the air, his teeth bared in a grimace. He would not let anything happen to her, not _ever-_

_There was no time. The windmill was falling, he was too late._

His eyes fixed on the flying beast, Toan charged after the pair, his heart in his throat as he saw Dran swing dangerously towards an outcrop of sharp crystals growing from the roof. He let out a choked cry as he realized – Dran intended to dislodge the annoyance on his back, no matter the cost. At the speed the beast was flying, Xiao would be smashed…

Swearing, he drew something cold and rounded from his pouch with a match taped to the side, still struggling to track the beast before Dran reached the crystals. He dragged the match along the surface of the bomb, hard enough for the head to spark and light. He didn't even remember lighting the fuse as he focused his energy into the feather's he'd caught before and streaked across the cave floor.

" _XIAO!_ " he roared, drawing back his arm and hurling the bomb towards the pair. He saw Xiao turn her head towards him, her eyes widening in panic, before fire consumed both of them.

Toan's heart froze, his grip convulsing around the hilt of the Sax. Had he been too late? Had he killed Xiao _himself?_

There was barely enough time for panic to set in before something human-shaped plummeted from the fires above, still smouldering, and landed in a crouch before him. Xiao swayed as the impact shook her battered body. Her dark eyes fixed on Toan, a weary smile crossing her face.

"Didn't Xiao tell Master to give her a little more warning next time?" she asked, almost drowned out by the dull roar around them. Her ears flickered back, her eyes widening and she lurched forwards into Toan, shoving him back powerfully as something _huge_ slammed into the cave floor, just where Xiao had been not a split second before. Toan's head bounced painfully on the rocky cavern, the Sax sliding from his grasp as the whole floor shook. Hot air scorched his face, the sound of rock cracking and breaking filled the air.

High above them, Dran – slightly blackened but maddeningly whole – roared, another round of fire flashing from his jaws and screaming towards them.

Xiao dragged Toan to his feet, pushing him another several feet away again as the fireball impacted the cavern floor between them. The floor quaked for a moment, before breaking with a tremendous crack. Toan's eyes widened in shock as the edges crumbled towards him, and he forced himself to retreat a few steps – right as he realised that the Sax was balanced precariously on the edge of the crumbling hole.

_Oh…_

He shot a glance up at the Divine Beast high above them, his jaws again glowing with hellfire. He glanced back at the Sax, then to the feathers still where he'd lodged them in his gloves. Toan bared his teeth, channelling all of his willpower into the feathers at his wrist and racing for the blade before Dran could send it to whatever dark hell lay beneath these caverns. He relaxed as he felt his hand close over the hilt of the blade, and used his forwards momentum to launch himself across the distance of the hole.

He hadn't counted on the effect that Dran's next fireball would make on his momentum. His stomach turned to ice as he began to fall, his hands scrabbling desperately at the air, trying to get just a little bit closer, just maybe he'd be able to grab the edge and live.

Atlamillia seemed to glow for a second, and sound faded. The screams of the fires around him, the breaking of rock and the sound of Xiao calling his name in fear all went silent, save for the beat of his own heart pounding in his ears.

Rock scraped against his fingers before Toan knew what was going on, and he clawed at it to get a better grip as it dawned on him.

He'd made it to the edge.

His one hand gripped tighter on the edge of the gap, his other hand still clenched around the Sax's hilt and useless to help him now. Toan's breath came in gasps as he tried to force himself up with just the one hand, but the chunk he held onto crumbled dangerously, forcing him to stop moving, stop _breathing._

The crumbling stopped, leaving him dangling above a yawning darkness one-handed and quickly running out of strength to hold on.

"Xiao?" he gasped out, tightening his grip on the chunk of rock and clay that anchored him to life. "Can you give me a hand?"

The darkness below him was oppressive and cold, reaching out for his mind, all whispers and screams and begs for salvation. A cold shiver ran down his spine as the hair rose on the back of his neck at the not-sound. He could almost, _almost_ hear something-

A clawed hand grabbed his own from above, hauling him up and out of the darkness. He fell to his knees as Xiao released him, his entire body shaking.

"You know how to call it close," he informed her, between painful pants.

Xiao struggled to her feet, her ears still flat back against her head as she gestured to the ceiling of the cave. "Tell it to Xiao after Master takes care of the Divine Beast."

He couldn't fight the grin. "I'll hold you to that."

He climbed to his feet, scanning the cavern for the Divine Beast. There he was, circling high above them. What was he waiting for? Toan squinted, thinking.

_Use my power to break the spell, huh?_

It was painfully obvious that no matter what he and Xiao did, nothing was going to knock Dran around enough for him to snap out of whatever trance the Dark Genie had put him under. Toan gritted his teeth, tearing a bread roll in half and giving one to Xiao, before stuffing the rest of thing whole into his mouth. Their supplies were running low, and he was out of bombs. They were out-powered, out-classed and outlasted, he decided grimly as he studied the myriad of grazes, cuts and burns that decorated their forearms and faces.

There wasn't much else they could do against this kind of overwhelming power.

Atlamillia pulsed brightly, and Toan's head snapped up. Dran screeched, swooping down low, his claws racking the air where his head had been moments before. The winged beast landed heavily before them, lashing out with both teeth and talons. Toan parried with the Sax as Xiao dodged nimbly out of range, drawing her Bandit slingshot from her pocket and firing on Dran once more.

Light flared to his right, but Toan ignored it, bringing the sword in his hands up again to counter Dran's whiffed strike with a solid strike to Dran's blacked side. The sword scored along the beast's side powerfully, blood splattering to the ground and coating the black-lacquered sword.

 _Wait a second,_ Toan's mind hissed as his eyebrows rose. That wasn't the Sax in his hand. It was something newer, lighter… and from the looks of it, far stronger than the Sax had ever been.

_Either way!_

He parried again with the new sword, enjoying the newfound lightness and power. Certainly far easier to swing and manoeuvre than the Sax – he ducked Dran's claws, his free hand extending towards Dran's face as Atlamillia pulsated again –

Dran howled and staggered back, as if Toan had shoved a red-hot poker into the beast's maddened eyes.

Xiao hissed behind him, apparently noticing the massive effect as immediately as Toan himself had.

"Do it again, Master," she told him bluntly, but Toan was already ahead of her. He streaked forwards, blocking Dran's desperate blows and reaching his hand out again. Howling in rage and agony, Dran was forced back again, shaking his great head as if plagued by flies.

 _Terra, I am such an_ _idiot_. _How much more obvious could the Fairy King's advice have_ _been_ _?_ Toan snarled to himself, ducking down as Xiao sprang forwards to his right and showered the side of Dran's head with rocks. Using the opportunity to hit Dran again with whatever power the Atlamillia held, Toan thrust his right hand at Dran one more time.

The giant God of Beasts screamed once, his eyes rolling into the back of his skull, face contorted in pain – before it relaxed.

Dran's eyes slowly refocused, holding none of the madness that had been present only moments before. Toan gasped in relief, the sword in his hands clattering to the ground as he whole body began to tremble in relief.

 _It was over_ , his mind told him. Xiao let out the breath she'd been holding since the last energy burst, and dropped to the ground, exhausted. Toan hardly blamed her, but he had a village Guardian to deal with.

"Mmmm… What has happened to me? And who are you…?" the dazed God grunted out, slumping to the ground hard enough to cause a minor shockwave. The beast shook his head wearily, fixing his eyes on Toan once more. "Tell me, boy. Why do I hurt so much? Why do you dare raise a blade against me?"

Toan would have given anything for something to lean against. He felt so tired, explaining was nearly beyond him at this point. But he had to try. He had to finish this, before he could rest.

"You were… mind-controlled by something. The Fairy King called it… the Dark Genie. I had to knock you out of it, using Atlamillia. I'm sorry that it took as long as it did to figure out how to release you from his influence…" Toan told him quietly. He didn't mean to glaze over so many details… it just seemed to happen.

Dran snorted.

"What! You say I was being manipulated? I, Dran? The God of Beasts!?"

It was almost as if Dran expected Toan to say, "Yeah, just joking. Sorry about that."

When no such explanation was forthcoming, the Divine Beast began to look troubled, the fur on his brow creasing in a frown.

"What an embarrassment. Hey, kid, sorry about that," Dran muttered grudgingly, dark eyes a little sheepish. Then he frowned again, as if he'd seen something worrying. "Hey now, what's wrong with you? You look like you're going to faint!"

Toan shook his head as he began to sway on his feet.

"Don't… feel so great…" he muttered, everything turning to a dull buzz. Dran's face blurred, his voice distorting as Toan's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

* * *

"Tch… humans. So damn fragile…" Dran grunted as he watched the boy fall into an unconscious heap of packs and swords next to the girl.

He sighed a great sigh, before gathering the both of them into his paws. There was something that the boy had told him… something that made him feel cold and frightened. Had this kid really said that the Dark Genie had been controlling him? Dran looked down at the boy.

The Dark Genie, the Fairy King, and Atlamillia. It was all extremely troubling, the god noted as he spread his wings. Worse, all three factors working _together…_

That it was worrying was an understatement.

It was downright _frightening._

The beast sighed again as he took flight. As many questions as he had for the two intruders into his chambers, they'd have to wait til tomorrow. Maybe then he'd have time to get his thoughts in order and clear his blasted head from the Genie's influence.

As he swept down the tunnel towards his more comfortable sleeping chambers, the two still in his forelimbs, Dran nodded to himself.

Tomorrow would be a better time for answers.


	10. Departure

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Two** _

_**The Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Time Unknown** _

_His gloved hands were slipping, slowly but surely even as he scrabbled at the loosened rock at the edges of the chasm. His grip weakening dangerously, he cast a fearful look into the yawning darkness beneath him, as he dangled above certain doom._

_There was no Xiao this time, just him and the darkness and the whispers and begs of the spirits now… and Atlamillia._

_As he stared up at the vibrant blue gem, tendrils of light seemed to reach out for his mind, wrapping around him – before the legendary stone's surface shattered. With a strangled scream, Toan plummeted into the darkness._

* * *

Toan shot bolt upright, chest heaving as he struggled for breath, his hands clenched in the scratchy blankets around him. Pushing his sweat-soaked hair from his eyes, he stared down at his hands, at the blue gem Atlamillia.

 _I wish I understood what was going on,_ he thought, only half aware of the fiery ache in his joints, head and muscles as he let himself sink back down into the rough bedding. He stared up at the rough-cut ceiling, watching the firelight play in the tiny faults. His eyebrows drew together in a frown. He was in the Divine Beast Cave, he'd been fighting and losing to...

His eyes widened and he pushed himself up again, ignoring the sickening spinning in his head.

"Dran!" he exclaimed, looking wildly around at his surroundings. Where was he? Definitely in the cave – he'd seen enough of that specific kind of rock to know it on a first name basis, he noted sourly. But this place was new – he'd never seen an area like this. It was… warmer. Lighter, and the tension between his shoulder blades that Toan hadn't realized was there had relaxed. Atlamillia sensed no monsters around here now… Toan pushed back the scratchy blankets, his mind still trying to work properly. Around him, a large and lumpy straw mattress cushioned the bedding from the stone floor.

Someone had removed his gloves, hat and poncho, he mused quietly. Someone had also bandaged his arms for him, and a quick glance over revealed that the worst of his injuries were a few scrapes, a long, bandaged cut along his side and a very sore head. He let out a sigh. Dran had really overpowered them…

It was as Seda had told him; they still had a long way to go til they could even hope to defeat the Dark Genie.

Toan sighed, rubbing his pounding head and staring about the strange cave again.

A large, stone-cut hearth roared with flames to his right, drawing his gaze. The Buster Sword and the new sword lay against the side of the hearth, the harness Paige had made for him dumped in a pile beside it.

A thin, long-eared and familiar figure was curled up in front of it on a pile of sheets, and Toan's eyebrows drew together in concern.

"Xiao?" he asked hoarsely, before clearing his throat. She didn't respond.

He tried again, sliding out of the blankets and staggering over to the cat. "Xiao? You okay?"

 _Blue Terra in a fire, my body hurts…_ He groaned as he eased himself onto the rocky ground beside her, casting Xiao a worried glance. She'd been hurt far worse than he had been, Toan realized with a sinking stomach. She was practically covered in bindings and burns – and some of it had been his fault.

 _You should have given her an earlier warning before you threw the bomb,_ he admonished himself bitterly as his throat tightened. _Now look what you've done._

He stared into the blazing fire, willing the changing shapes and consuming hunger that characterized it to help him forget his troubles. It wasn't working – all he could think of was the panicked look on her face as she realized what he'd done.

"I'm sorry, Xiao," he blurted, wrapping his arms around his knees, unable to take his eyes from the fire. "If I'd been smart enough, if I'd been quick enough, we'd have stopped Dran quicker and I wouldn't have hurt you." He halted, cursing himself mentally. Even talking to his unconscious friend, he'd clam up. What was there to be afraid of, huh? It was always like this.

 _You did great, Xiao,_ he told her silently. _I know that I would have died in there, if it hadn't been for your help. If you hadn't distracted Dran when I needed to regroup, if you hadn't helped me get this far… things would have turned out worse._

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

_I couldn't ask for a better friend to help me through this. Thanks, Xiao._

There was a low rumble of laughter from behind them, and Toan turned his head so fast his neck cracked and his head spun sickeningly. Bracing himself against the warm stone floors of the cavern, he looked up and met a pair of warm, dark eyes in a large, furred face. Toan's jaw dropped as comprehension hit like a mallet.

 _Holy Terra it's Dran… he's going to murder me, for banging him up a bit…_ Toan pressed his face to the rocky ground in hasty bow, silently praying that Dran's next movement _wasn't_ going to take Toan's head off at the shoulders. He really hadn't meant to hurt the god all that badly, but he'd failed at figuring out the Fairy King's true meaning for so long…

Dran sank to his haunches, the motion heavy enough to quake the ground slightly.

"Get up, kid," the Divine Beast complained, lifting a hind leg to scratch behind a horn lazily. "I avoid humans _because_ of that behaviour exactly. You lot would worship a keg of wine if you were given half a chance."

Toan lifted his head with a start, muttering a jumbled apology. Perhaps Dran wasn't angry with him at all – Toan had really gotten his fill of fighting during their battle yesterday. If that's what a berserk Dran could do, what could a Dran fully in control of his thoughts do? It was a horrifying thought.

Dran eyed him for a moment, chewing at his bottom lip with a canine in thought.

"So, kiddo. What's your name, for starters?"

Toan jerked in surprise at the question, but hastily cleared his throat to answer. "Toan, son of Aga, of Nolun Village."

There was a short bark of laughter, as if what Toan had said greatly amused the Divine Beast.

"Aga's brat? Weren't you knee-high on a grasshopper last I checked?" Dran chortled, tilting his head to the side. The laughter faded quickly though, as if something heavy weighed on his mind. "Has it really been that long?"

Toan didn't really know how to answer that one.

"And the other one? What's her name?"

"Xiao. She's my… she's my cat," Toan muttered, but it seemed to be loud enough for Dran to hear, as the Divine Beast nodded his huge head.

"Xiao then. Took care of your wounds before passing out in front of the fire. Seems like a good friend. But, for more important matters. Fill me in, kiddo. Toan. What the hell has been going on out there with my village?" There was a rumble of a growl in Dran's words, but the beast's eyes were kind.

Toan looked to the side, his eyes catching the soft blue glow of Atlamillia on his hand.

 _Have courage,_ he reminded himself forcefully as he met Dran's eyes again.

"It was spring harvest night," Toan told Dran quietly, waiting for the Divine Beast's nod of understanding before he continued. "Things were going as they usually did. Komacho had been suckered into playing flute this year by a bet with Pike. Alnet had seasoned the spit roast, and Laura was arguing with her over how long to cook it for…" Toan trailed off as vivid images of that night flashed before his eyes. The shadowy blotch against the moon that had heralded the disaster that was to come.

"We didn't know what hit us. Suddenly there was fire and lightning everywhere. People were screaming, houses were being blown apart… I could smell burning flesh and earth." Toan scrubbed at his eyes. Fairies, the smell… he'd forgotten how the stench had soaked in. "Mom came out to see what was going on, right before the house was destroyed. That's when I figured out that people weren't just being injured, they were _dying…_ "

Dran growled beneath his breath, muttering something Toan couldn't make out.

"That was the Dark Genie you mentioned, correct?"

Toan nodded, though he couldn't really recall any of what he'd said to Dran yesterday before passing out.

"I woke up alone, in the dark. The Fairy King told me that the East had released the Dark Genie and used it to destroy half the world. He said… he said that he gave me Atlamillia because he'd saved some of the pieces of the world and suspended them in the Atla. He said I'd have to look for them in the world around Nolun… I found everyone, and then came here to find you."

The Divine Beast grunted. "And you found me out of my mind and screaming for blood, right?"

An awkward moment of silence passed between god and boy as Toan blinked furiously to clear his eyes of any dampness, swallowing quickly to loosen his throat up a little.

"Hmm… I see. So that's what's been happening on the earth…" Dran muttered, his dark eyes seeming to go far away. "He said that Atlamillia would restore the world?"

Toan nodded, holding out his left hand. Atlamillia glinted in the firelight.

"Hnh. That's a new use for that troublemaker," Dran said sourly. "The Dark Genie… that's what the old man, the Fairy King, called it? If that's the case, we might be in trouble. I've heard that name before.

"Long ago, a monster called the "Black Demon" appeared in East Terra. The creature caused massacre after massacre, and almost brought the world to an end… Neither the most gallant knights nor the most powerful sorcerers could stand before the horror of the creature, much less harm it."

Toan's stomach felt like iron. Seda hadn't been joking around about the Dark Genie's strength… neither had the Fairy King.

"It's power seemed as vas as the limitless power of the Genies. Thus people started to call it the "Dark Genie". It wiped out nearly all of the known kingdoms of the world. Ultimately, only a few people survived on Earth.

"When all seemed lost, a tribe called the "Moon People" created an enormous urn that could seal tremendous magic power and trapped the Dark Genie inside. The world recovered and peace was restored. The world was saved by the Moon People and their mastery of the magical arts."

Dran yawned widely, cracking his neck and spreading his wings reflexively. Hindered by the tiny chamber, Toan had to scramble backwards or get caught in the motion.

"That's about all I know," the huge beast told him. "If you want to go after that Dark Genie, you'd better have the Moon People on your side."

"Where can I find the Moon People?" Toan asked quietly, casting Xiao a quick glance. All this talking had started to rouse her, if the twitching in her ears and tail were anything to go by.

Dran shrugged his massive shoulders, scratching behind his ear again. "I hear the Moon People live quietly deep in the woods, in a place located beyond Matataki Village. The Matataki Village is located just south of Nolun Village. Why not go there first? My brothers Utan and Treant live around that area."

Toan nodded to Dran, though he was feeling a little apprehensive now. To go all the way to Matataki… he'd never been there himself, but Laura's husband often traded with the hunters there. His gut twisted as he realised that Karlo had never come home from his last trip to Wise Owl Forest. Perhaps he was helping the villagers recover from the Dark Genie's certain attack…

The Divine Beast grunted suddenly, catching Toan's attention again. Dran nodded to the gem on Toan's hand.

"Odd that the Fairy King, who never liked humans, would give a kid like you the power of that stone. He's got something up… Oh well, I can use some fresh air for a change. Wake up your friend and hop on my back, I'll give you both a lift outside and back to the village."

Toan frowned, looking down at Atlamillia. Something was up? He forced himself to put it out of his mind as he reached for Xiao's shoulder and gently shook it.

"Hey? Xiao? Wake up."

The hybrid mumbled under her breath, rolling away from him and curling up more tightly.

Toan's eyebrow twitched. "Xiao! We're leaving. Right now."

Sluggishly, Xiao hauled herself to her feet, blinking sleepily at the giant beast standing in their presence. She didn't seem awed in the least at the presence of Nolun Village's guardian – he envied her that much. It was doubtful that she ever looked up to Dran as much as the children of Nolun had been raised to, Toan thought grumpily as he helped her climb onto Dran's broad back before following her up himself.

"Hold onto your hats, kids," Dran announced as he rose to his feet. Toan wound his hands through the mix of fur and feathers, bracing himself against Xiao when the Divine Beast began to jog down the long tunnel. He felt his hands tighten in the fur as Dran's strides began to lengthen and quicken, and suddenly there was a dull roar as wind rushed past his ears, the cave a blur around them-

-and suddenly they were in open air, soaring through the clear skies above the mountains that surrounded Nolun's valley. Toan grabbed at his turban as he felt the wind almost lift it right off his head as Dran pointed his nose to plummet in a steep dive towards the specks that Toan could only assume was his village. As Dran's speed picked up, he could hear Xiao laughing over the roar of the wind in his ears.

Despite the trials of the previous day, things had turned out alright after all. Dran was okay, the village was restored… Toan let out a happy whoop as Dran levelled out his flight.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Two** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Morning** _

Dran grunted as Toan slid off his great back, before the boy turned to offer a helping hand to his partner. The hybrid landed with a sleepy mumble – it seemed that even the rush of the flight had failed to completely awaken the cat. He watched them share a grin, and then craned his neck to look out over the village. His eyes widened slightly.

Every single house seemed to be restored, though the positioning seemed a little off now. From the boy's description, Dran had been certain that Simba had been unable to save everyone, that perhaps some of the Atla had been lost. Everything was whole, the blades of his windmill turning gently in the breeze, the gurgle of the creeks… Dran turned his attention back to Toan, the motion seemed to snap the boy out of his own thoughts.

 _I see… Atlamillia's affects are already getting to him,_ Dran noted as Toan responded to something Xiao muttered, before Dran cleared his own throat.

"I appreciate your work, kid. I don't have a clue how powerful this Genie is, but it was powerful enough to control me," Dran told the boy gruffly, his mind wandering briefly. If the Dark Genie's presence had had such a devastating affect on him… then what of his brothers Utan and Treant? Utan was more reclusive than even Dran himself, so the Divine Beast of Nolun wasn't as worried. It was Treant who bothered him. Treant, who was stationed on the outskirts of Matataki Village. Treant, who could easily give into a Dark-driven impulse and hurt those he presided over.

His mind was decided.

"Toan, listen to me. I want you to go to the land of Matataki Village. I hear the Moon people live deep in the Wise Owl Forest. Once you reach Matataki, first thing, visit Great Treant. Follow the river, and you'll find him. He might look a bit weird, but he takes good care of people. He is sure to give you a hand." Dran's eyes fixed on the boy's face, watching the multitude of emotions on his features. Fear, alarm, surprise… determination.

_Perhaps that was why the Fairy King chose him, as foolish as he was to entrust Atlamillia to a mortal again._

"Oh, and one last thing. There's a book hidden at the base of my windmill, inside the stones. There's a loose one on the western side… if it survived the Atla, you can take it. Might give you a little hand with that sword work."

Dran yawned widely, scratching behind his ears as he spread his wide wings. "Do this for me, kid, and you'll be well on your way to save the world. Wasn't that what Simba told you to do? Restore the whole world?" he chuckled. "So long, kiddo. Take care!"

And with that farewell, Dran launched himself into the air and away. As he flew for the mountain peaks around Nolun, he made a note to himself, silently promising himself that he would have a few stern words with Simba, the next time the old man decided to poke his fingers into Nolun affairs.

* * *

" _Two_ days, Toan!" Renee snapped, rounding on her son as he walked through the door. Toan's head snapped up in spite of his soreness, his eyes widening.

"Two?" he questioned, and was shocked at the hoarseness in his voice. He coughed to clear his throat. "Has it really been that long?"

Renee buried her face in her hands, taking a deep breath. Toan felt himself wince, for it wasn't often that he drove his mother to such anger. When she raised her head again, her eyes were closed.

"Maybe it was three. Now that I recall it, you weren't all that involved in the celebrations," Renee told him, her tone scathing, her hands planted on her hips as she gave her son a royal dressing down he probably deserved. "No word, no warning, and you come back looking like you've been dragged halfway to Vorwensor. Might I ask, why?"

Toan raised his hands in a placating gesture, but in the corner of his eye he saw Xiao sneaking off in the other direction.

 _Oh, no you don't, Xiao,_ he thought irritably. _It was as much your idea as it was mine._

"It was Xiao's idea. She said that if we were quick about seeing Dran, there'd be no need for anybody to even know we'd gone. We… didn't want anyone to be worried," Toan said, watching as Xiao spun around with a shocked yowl. Well, it was mostly true. She did readily agree to the plan. Toan stifled the urge to grin smugly as Renee's glower rested on Xiao, before it swung back to him.

"As opposed to worrying me half to death, when I realized the two of you were missing? I have five more grey hairs from this little escapade of yours. _Five._ How is that _not worried,_ Toan?" Renee's tone was a little exasperated, but the anger had faded from her eyes now. "You really are your father's son…"

Toan let his pack slide to the ground with a groan, giving his mother a small smile.

"I didn't realize… I'm sorry. If it helps… I won't do it again."

Dran's request echoed loudly in his mind, and Toan's gut twisted painfully. It wasn't the same, he supposed. At least he'd try to give her warning, if he did end up travelling to Matataki Village and seeing the Great Treant. Surely she wouldn't bite his head off for _that_ …

Renee buried her face in her hands again, but Toan was relived to see that she wasn't shaking in anger this time. Always a positive.

"Renee, I thought I heard shouting- oh," a voice commented from just outside the door. Alnet and Paige both stood in the doorway in, their eyebrows arched in identical looks of disdain as they noticed who was the target of Renee's rare anger.

"Oh. I see Toan's finally back," Paige muttered not-so quietly, frowning at Toan. He felt as if both women suddenly wanted to flay the skin off his back and string it up as a trophy. Or, that's the feeling he was getting from Paige's dark stare. It didn't help that Alnet was giving him exactly the same look.

"I hope he has a good explanation for worrying us," the older girl told his mother, though he could tell by the deliberate loudness of her voice that it was meant for him alone.

 _That's it,_ Toan decided grimly as he reshouldered his pack. _Time to get out while I'm still alive._

"I'm not so sure about that," Renee laughed as she watched Toan retreat up to the loft. "But I don't seem to have killed him yet."

* * *

He dropped the dusty old tome onto the ground, the bounty from his search of Dran's Windmill. Toan allowed himself to flop onto the grass out the back of his home, his head still aching from both his mother's tongue-lashing and the fight with Dran. He'd really worried her, and that worried him in return. He wished he could tell her that she was being ridiculous, but part of him understood where she was coming from. His father had vanished one night, and now her son was doing that same thing.

He sighed, staring up at the cloud-streaked sky. What could he _do?_ He couldn't just refuse the God of Beasts and the guardian of Nolun Village. Was there even another path he could take?

 _No,_ he decided. _Not without endangering everyone. I don't think I could take it, seeing the Dark Genie destroy them again. And next time, they might not be so lucky and Atlamillia might not save them._

He rolled onto his stomach, grabbing the old book in his hands. Carefully blowing the dust from the cover of the tome, he tried to make out the title.

"Wind – wind what?" He asked irritably, before shrugging and carefully opening the book. The spine groaned from the sudden use, and Toan had to remind himself to be careful. Fairies only knew how old this book was, and Dran would probably kill him if he wrecked it.

He stared at the pages for a moment, his mind working. They looked a little like the exercises and kata he'd been learning from Aga's book-

Only far more complex, he mused. He'd never seen anything like it. The stances flowed into one another like water, like the blowing wind. It was fast and didn't leave a lot of room for error. One false move and he'd end up beheading himself from this. He chewed on his lip thoughtfully, before closing the book.

_Ah, I see now. Windmill styles. Of course._

"Whatcha doing, Master Toan?" Xiao's curious face craned into view, her eyes questioning. She looked at the book and gave it a sniff. "You went searching Dran's Windmill without Xiao," she accused, pouting.

"You're feeling helpful today, I see," Toan smiled. "I thought you'd be sick of me dragging you around today and maybe get some rest."

He didn't add that he had been a little disturbed at how quickly Xiao threw herself in the way of danger, no matter if she lived or died as a result. It was a little unsettling, and he wasn't really sure how he was going to approach this issue with her.

Xiao snorted. "All that work for a dusty old book, too," she groused, flopping to the grass next to him. "That isn't all that's bothering Master, though, is it?"

… _Clever._

"No, I guess not," he agreed. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath.

_Here goes._

"Xiao, did you want to… I mean…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair. How to say this? "Would you be willing to follow me to Matataki Village? Give me a hand there? I could really use the help, is all."

That, and he was certain his mother would be more at ease if he wasn't risking his neck alone…

Xiao gave him a wink, twirling a blade of grass between thumb and forefinger. "Master knows Xiao promised to help him."

"Yes, but-"

"For as long as it takes to defeat the Dark Genie," she sniffed with an air of finality, the look in her eyes brooking no nonsense or protests from her Master. He had to smile – just who here was the master of who?

"Matataki's a few days south-west of here. It's a village of hunters on the edge of this giant forest called Wise Owl Forest, and…" He turned a few pages of the book, grimacing. Those moves were insane, they might even be beyond human to pull off. "We'll have to leave Nolun, so I suppose we'll need some supplies to last us 'til we get there."

That, and the Fairies only knew what they'd find when they got there. If Dran was worried about his brother Treant, it didn't bode well for the rest of the population.

Xiao gave him a mischievous grin. "Maybe we could get more supplies from the Mayor," she said slyly.

Toan shielded his eyes as he looked across the village. There was someone on a ladder by Odd Gaffer's buggy, and if he strained his ears he could almost hear the thudding of a hammer on nails –

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to work this time," he mused. He'd thought he'd hidden it well enough to hold off for a few days longer – or until Xiao let him fix up the last part of the village. His mother must have found it and returned it herself.

Xiao muttered a few complaints under her breath – something about 'fun-spoiling two-legged' – Toan flushed at the rest of her insult. Where had she _learned_ that language?

* * *

Of course, the Mayor had had no objections to a direct order from Dran himself. When Toan had come to inform him of the instructions, he'd given the boy a quick crash-course in notable Matataki Village figures. The Baron had been an old friend of Berador's from long ago, and Fudoh was as much a legend in Nolun as he was in his own village.

Still, the look of worry on the Mayor's face when Toan had arrived continued to sit in his mind, like the remains of a bad meal in his stomach. Maybe he was just overly concerned, Toan thought firmly. With Xiao around he was certain he could handle whatever the travel threw at him.

As he loaded his pack with supplies, he heard the creak of feet on the floorboards. He frowned, pushing down the urge to reach for his dagger. He wasn't in the cave, for Blue Terra's sake. He was in his own home.

Instead, he ignored the sound, waiting for her to announce her presence properly. He didn't have to wait long.

"…I hear you're going to Matataki," Paige said, pulling out a chair at the table and flopping down on it. Toan nodded, carefully stowing his new collection of amulets in the corner of his pack. In another pouch were his battle items, kept separate from his clothes and his food supply. The last thing he wanted to do was take a bite of Gooey Peach by mistake…

"It's a long way," she mused quietly, watching as he put Aga's book and Dran's dusty tome into his bag. "Are you sure about it?"

Toan paused, his eyes drifting to the stone on his hand. He felt a tug at the corner of his mind, a feeling of intense restlessness filling him until he blinked. He'd never really wanted to leave Nolun, not permanently. But the way he felt now – he was certain it was because of Atlamillia. It wanted to go on, to travel away from this village. He knew it in his stomach.

"I don't think they'll let me stay here," he told Paige slowly, meeting her eyes squarely.

"They?"

"The Fairy King. Dran. The Dark Genie." _Atlamillia._ Toan bit back the last, unable to bring himself to say it aloud. He was being ridiculous, really.

Paige snorted, smiling slightly. "Who cares what they think? If you don't want to go, you shouldn't be forced. The villagers would stand up for you, and you don't want to get Laura mad."

The problem was, he _did_ want to go. Artificial or not, he itched to seek out the world now. It was like he'd been bitten by something, desiring the world yet longing to stay at home at the same time.

And if he didn't go, what would happen to the Atla of the other villages and towns that the Fairy King had saved? Destroyed by monsters? Scattered on the winds? And the Dark Genie would not just leave half the world intact, it would soon come back to finish the job.

He had to go, he realized, and it really had nothing to do with the gem in his hand, nor Dran's request. He had to go because his heart would never let him stay. In doing so, he'd condemn the world to slaughter once more – and that time, there would be no second chance.

"I do want to go," he said quietly, offering Paige a smile. "I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't."

She sighed, but returned his smile.

"That's all I need to know, then." Her smile turned rueful. "It's a big world, out there."

He nodded, slotting a few rolls of bread into his pack. Not enough to sustain them for long, but there'd be carts and wagons along the road, he guessed.

"Make sure you come back, y'hear?" Paige rose to her feet, sniffing loudly. Toan watched her back retreat through the door. Had it just been his imagination, or had she been weeping?

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Three** _

_**Nolun Village** _

_**Morning** _

The morning of departure dawned bright and early for Toan. After hauling a reluctant Xiao out of her bed in spite of her claims of having changed her mind, he sat her down and went through the contents of their packs with her. He showed her where he'd put the battle items, where the food was, and where to put any gems or attachments they found in their travels. Xiao yawned loudly and obnoxiously throughout, doing her best to ignore her master's attempts to prepare her for the journey.

He heaved a sigh, frowning at her.

"Xiao, I swear to the Fairies, if I die because you couldn't find the cherries fast enough to unfreeze me, I'm going to come back from the dead and kill you myself."

Xiao waved a negligent hand at his concerns, yawning wide enough to bare her long, pointed canine teeth. "Master shouldn't worry about that. Xiao wouldn't let Master get frozen in the first place."

Giving up on that idea, Toan turned back to his breakfast. This was probably going to be the best meal he'd get in a while, he realized grimly. Best enjoy it while he could, _without_ getting annoyed at his extremely erratic comrade.

Renee bustled around them, listing items they'd need or want during their travels.

"Plenty of repair powder, I'd say," she muttered to him, looking thoughtful. "Revival powder too. Not that I don't think highly of Xiao, I just…"

He nodded, catching her drift. Even she knew Xiao could be unreliable at times – just not when it came to fighting. He looked down at his empty plate, then gathered up the used bowls and took them to the old sink. He returned to the table, setting his turban on his head and slipping his poncho over his head.

Well, he was ready now. A quick glace told him Xiao was ready, especially if she was staring out the window like that. He turned back to his mother, giving her what he hoped was an encouraging grin

Renee smiled, though it was spoiled by the insidious touch of worry. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"I wish that, too." Or did he? He no longer knew how much of the restlessness was Atlamillia's, and how much was his own. It concerned him a little.

"Ever since your father –" Renee cut herself off, catching her son in a tight hug. "You come back safe, you hear me, Toan?"

Toan returned her hug. Aga, who never returned from an adventure in the world abroad. No, Toan would not end up like him, leaving his family and friends wondering what ever happened to him. He'd never be like Aga. Never.

He gently pushed free of his mother, bending to shoulder his pack. The buster sword and Dusack hung at his hip, waiting. He was ready for anything, he decided firmly as he walked out the door, Xiao scrambling to catch up to him. The morning sun was warm on his face as he went down the stairs of his house, passing through the broken gate he'd always sworn to fix, giving Woolly one more pat for old time's sake. Renee came to the top of the stairs, shielding her eyes against the sun as she watched her only son depart.

The small village was abuzz with activity. Gaffer was selling his wares to Alnet and Laura, Carl was bothering the Macho Brothers with his slingshot, as they practiced unarmed forms out the back of their house. Claude was nowhere to be seen – Toan guessed he was using his hot-tub, as he claimed when Toan had restored his home.

Toan continued on, noting that the Hag was sitting on the bench out the front of her home, staring peacefully up at the blades of Dran's Windmill as the moved slowly in the morning breeze. Pike was fishing by the village dam, lifting a lazy hand in a wave as Toan and Xiao passed by. Toan hesitated a moment, before waving back.

Aga had been gone for years. There was really nothing for it, and if Pike make his mother happy, then who was he to judge?

In spite of himself, his eyes tried to seek out Paige as he passed the final windmill on the outskirts of town. He passed over the small bridge, fending off Xiao's effort to push him in the water. As he flailed to regain balance, he spied her waving from the top of the last windmill, perched on the highest platform.

Toan grinned up at her, giving her a nod and a wave.

He'd be back, he'd promised her that. With a nod to Xiao, the pair set off into the world beyond.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Three** _

_**The Divine Beast Cave** _

_**Afternoon** _

The cave he called his home was still crawling with demonspawn and monsters, the Divine Beast noted grumpily, as he surveyed the interior. Nothing that could give a guardian such as he any trouble, but their continued presence bothered him. Surely, once he'd regained his senses, they'd have taken leave and gotten the hell out of his home. But they only grew in number, festering away at the insides of his cave, neither fearing nor respecting his divine wrath.

The Dark Genie's power was perhaps even stronger than he'd guessed, though he cared not to admit it. It made him worry for his brothers Utan and Treant all the more. But Toan had made things right with Nolun – perhaps the boy's abilities and strength of will would carry on to his brothers' domains.

_The boy._

There was no other way to view it; something was up. What was Simba thinking, giving such a dangerous artefact to a mere human, no matter what the purpose? Atlamillia, a relic left over from long before Dran's own time, from even before the time of the Fairy Council. Atlamillia, perhaps one of the few things in the world as dangerous as the Dark Genie – Dran sank to ground before his fireplace, his mind working.

"I see you've regained your senses, Dran," a warm voice commented to Dran's right. The Divine Beast grunted, turning his great head to stare King Simba directly in the eye.

"I'm going to be blunt with you," Dran rumbled, searching for some indication of guile in the old man's face. "What the hell is going on?" His voice rose to a roar as his pent up frustration flooded out of his control. "Why have you given a boy, again from _my_ village, that dangerous bitch? No matter what the danger, you should know better than to release her on an innocent mind again!"

Simba's face was weary, and he leaned heavily on his staff. Not for the first time, Dran wondered how long he would continue to play at magical politics.

"You have no idea of how many people have asked me that question," the Fairy King laughed shortly from behind his beard. "The entire Council. Seda. Now you."

Dran growled under his breath. "Seda?"

The Fairy King sighed. "It matters not. What truly matters is that Atlamillia's might is the only thing that can combat the Dark Genie's strength. Despite what happened last time."

"She drove him mad! She corrupts her user and bends them to her will! How would a monster born of the stone be _any_ better than a monster born of demon blood?!"

"You fail to realize that the boy… the boy is the answer. He is Blue Terra's answer to Atlamillia's curse and the _only_ one who may stop the Dark Genie. He is always the answer, in every timeline the Gallery paints. He is the hero that can resist the lure of the power."

"And how can you be so certain Atlamillia's power will win over the Dark Genie's? Last time-"

"Last time… last time was a mistake. The wrong host, the wrong moment in time. In attempting to strike pre-emptively at disaster..."

"You caused it," Dran finished for him bluntly. "I hope, for _your_ sake, that you aren't wrong again. This world will not survive another Mage War, not with Atlamillia and the Dark Genie opposing one another once more."

The Fairy King's eyes were grave as he vanished from Dran's cave, and the Divine Beast had to wonder if Simba truly believed what he claimed.


	11. The Silence of an Empty World

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Three** _

_**Koramar Road** _

_**Afternoon** _

They had been travelling for a few hours on the road between Nolun Valley and Wise Owl Forest, before the thrill of the road began to wear thin. The sight of the dusty path stretching into the distance before them was almost disheartening, Toan thought as he trudged onwards, Xiao scuffing along behind him. The road was surrounded at both sides by densely forested hills, sometimes alternating for steep, rocky cliffs.

_Not exactly the most exciting scenery. No wonder most stories leave this part out._

Xiao heaved out another huge sigh – her second in as many minutes. Clearly, her excitement was wearing off now that the familiar buzz of Nolun Village had been left a few miles behind them and the only thing interesting now was the next oddly shaped rock on the side of the road. He knew exactly how she felt…

"Xiao." He wiped a gloved hand across his face. The day had certainly heated up following their departure. Had late spring ever been this Terra-cursed hot? Still, he continued on doggedly, "What's on your mind?"

"Master forgot to mention how boring this would be," Xiao muttered reproachfully, her ears flickering as the call of a bird sounded in the trees on their left. She sniffed the air, moving on in front of him, picking up the pace as she forced them onwards.

"I did ask if you really wanted to come," Toan pointed out as he jogged to catch up, shifting his pack to a more comfortable spot. If felt as though the straps were rubbing him raw, right through his poncho…

She heaved a big, fake-sounding sigh. "Xiao _supposes_ Master is right." A big-toothed grin was shot his way. "Xiao must insist that it's time to stop for food, though."

He snorted softly. Oh, she hadn't been working up to that for hours, had she? He gave her a quick nod, watching with a wry smile as that grin cracked even wider and she ran into the trees to their right side, flitting between the old trunks and was swiftly out of sight. Toan frowned for a moment, waiting for her to pop back into view. The undergrowth rustled. With a start, he realized that she'd just made off with half their supplies and had no concept of how to ration properly.

She would devour their entire supply of chicken and fish candy in _minutes-_

"H-hey, wait up!" Toan shouted, scrambling after her. He heard her laugh to his left, a rustle to his right - he looked up. She sat atop the branch of the tallest tree she could find, a triumphant look on her face and the pack on her lap, the entire bag of fish candy in one of her clawed hands.

He took a deep breath.

_Calm, Toan. She'll devour them just to spite you, if you yell at her._

Yes, there were really times when he wondered; just who was the master in their odd friendship?

"When are you coming down?" He tried to make his voice as nonchalant as he could manage – he knew he failed as the grin widened even further on her small, pointed face.

"When is Master coming up?" she questioned, tossing the packet of fish candy up and down in that clawed hand. Toan sighed, sliding his pack from his shoulders. He opened it, grabbing the packet of bread and cheese and lurching to his feet. Shooting Xiao a determined look, he took a firm hold on the nearest branch to his level and made his way to the top of the tree.

After all, he'd spent most of his childhood climbing Nolun's trees, he was hardly going to let his upstart cat get the better of him in this.

He seated himself on a branch slightly below Xiao, not quite trusting himself with the extra weight of his swords. He unwrapped the paper around his bread and cheese, taking the first bite in silence. To his left, there was a distinctive crunch as Xiao bit into her fish candy.

Toan sighed.

"Two more days of this," he said, speaking to the air in front of him, leaning against the trunk of the tree, looking at the mirror surface of Atlamillia. The insistent urge to travel, to get out of Nolun, seemed to be gone for now. Right now, he wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing. Maybe a bit of extra driving force behind him might make the journey a little faster.

The mixed blues of the gem swirled slowly in the sunlight, drawing him in with the subtle beauty.

_Ghe sei karan go klevra soran aa…_

He shook himself, blinking rapidly and looking over at Xiao. She had one ear pricked towards him, staring at the gem in his hand. The cat's look deepened into a frown, and suddenly she was next to him, unceremoniously fishing a piece of cheese from his lunch.

Fighting a smile in spite of his outrage, Toan pulled it back from her reach and finished the last of it off.

"So," he said quietly.

Xiao nodded. She seemed as eager as he was, to break the odd silence that had fallen between them in the past few hours.

"What do you remember…? Before I…?" Toan began to fold the oilpaper. It would be good to reuse this.

"Before Master changed Xiao?" She lifted her chin, her brown eyes looking to the green canopy. "A lot of darkness, fear. Scentless Ones. Divine Beast. Skeletons. Before that, Xiao was born in the forest. Like this."

"So how did you get into the Divine Beast Cave? If you were born here…?"

She shrugged, but her eyes looked thoughtful. "Xiao went exploring around the forest without her litter-mates. Found one of the smaller entrances to the Divine Beast Cave. Those ones are not so easy for humans to fit in, though," Xiao explained hastily at the look on Toan's face.

He smiled ruefully. He'd been foolish to think Xiao knew a shortcut to Dran, and hadn't told him. She was a better friend than that.

"Xiao fell in, and couldn't find her way out. She was able to survive on rodents – there was lots of water in the caves. Very dark, but no monsters. Not until the Dark Genie. The air was different – Xiao could smell the evil in the air, and knew she had to hide or she would die."

If he craned his neck, he thought he could make out the dusty road through the trees.

"Dran protected you, until the Dark Genie came?" Toan asked, curious. It might have been indirect, but it did seem as though Dran had allowed her survival.

"Something like that," Xiao replied, non-committal. "The monsters drove away Xiao's food, gathered at the water. They waited for the other creatures to come for water," she explained. "Xiao wasn't expecting to survive much longer when she first met Master."

"I remember that. You ran away."

"Master was new, and if the monsters thought he was dangerous…" She sniffed the air. "Xiao kept clear, but it seemed to Xiao that Master was the monster's enemy, but not hers'."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Toan mused as he plucked a leaf from the branch above him. For her to have the presence of mind, even as a young _cat_ in a dangerous place… it was astonishing. "You were a smart cat."

"Master's not so stupid, himself," Xiao taunted with a grin. "A little slow, though."

He snorted, amused and slightly annoyed at the same time. "So why did you come, when I was fighting Seda?"

"Seda." Xiao muttered darkly. "Xiao smelt evil on him, and went to see if Master would need help. Xiao didn't expect to get caught up in the fight."

"Lucky for us, you did."

"Very lucky for Master," she agreed, flashing him that big-toothed grin. "Xiao promised to watch his back, and will see to it that Master survives. Xiao promised. But Master should not pursue danger, nor obsess over him so."

Toan knew she wasn't talking about the monsters or the Genie now. Fishing around for a topic change, he stretched.

"How old are you, Xiao?" He'd never really had a chance to ask before. Why not now?

She swung down from the branch, causing it to rock wildly as she dropped to the ground lightly.

"By Xiao's guess, she was born in spring, and this was her second spring." She dusted her black shorts off as Toan gaped.

"…wait, you're _one year old?"_

* * *

The travelling duo continued on until red began to streak the late afternoon sky, the initial awkwardness melted by Xiao's relentless questioning and exploration of everything Toan knew about the world, and then some. Finally, he looked up at the sky, rolling his sore shoulders as he slowed to a stop.

 _Way past time to stop,_ he mused silently. His body had acquired a whole new kind of ache, it seemed, and blisters on top of his blisters. The thought of retiring to his blankets was seriously inviting right now…

Xiao cocked her head at him questioningly as Toan waved towards the side of the road, leading them from the main path and into the forest. There was a large patch of grass just beyond the initial treeline, a field of dust and weeds. There were the remains of a few charred campfires, nothing more than blackened patches of ground.

He frowned, scanning the area. From the look of the fires and the growing grass, nobody had used this campsite since-

"Since the Dark Genie appeared thirty or so days ago,"Toan muttered, barely loud enough to hear himself over the rustle of the wind in the trees around them. Xiao's ears flickered towards him. She understood it, too.

He led them over to the campsite closest to the road, feeling the back of his neck prickle. Had he been expecting some travellers camping here? He wasn't sure, but now that he thought about it… There had been nobody on the road at all. They had not passed by a single soul, whether headed to Nolun or to Matataki. From what he'd heard from Laura's husband, Karlo, this road was meant to be very busy. It was a major trade route, yet…

_Ghe sei karan go klevra soran aa…_

He jerked at the sound, the inhuman voice seeming to be so loud in the silence. Rolling his shoulders to dispel the tension, he dropped his pack to the ground.

 _Just ignore it,_ he told himself forcefully. _It's just your imagination._

Xiao flopped to the ground, staring up at the sun-streaked sky. Her pack fell next to her, thudding to the grassy dust and raising a cloud of dirt.

"Too much walking for Xiao," she told the sky loudly, laying a furry wrist across her eyes. Toan wasn't sure if it was for dramatic effect or to keep the sun out of them, but either way it didn't last long as she sat up suddenly.

"You keep saying that," he told her, with a small smile on his lips. "You're starting to sound like one of the Mayor's inventions – keeping on repeating the same thing over and over."

She gave him a lazy stare, looking like she was ready to flop to the grass again. "Xiao says what she thinks."

"Thank Blue Terra for that,"Toan muttered quietly, under his breath, as he slowly undid the buckles of his battle harness.

He rolled his shoulders again, feeling a lot lighter – the combined weight of the pack and the harness had been huge.

"Xiao, I'm going to get some firewood," he told his prone ally, moving stiffly off into the trees around the clearing. He limped a little from the stiffness and the blisters, and he knew with a grim certainty that it would only hurt worse tomorrow. His back cracked as he bent to gather up some of the larger sticks, stacking them in the crook of his arm as he carefully moved about the trees. He heard Xiao move off from where she'd dumped her pack, flitting along the edge of the clearing on lighter feet than what Toan could manage at that time.

By the looks of it, she was taking stock of their camp's perimeter.

Shrugging, he gathered the last, larger branches of wood and returned to their camp site. By the time Xiao was done with the extended scouting, Toan had the fire going and his blankets laid out next to it. He nodded to her as she flopped to the ground again – so long as she knew the site, he'd rest easy.

Xiao grinned at him suddenly, grabbing a heel of bread and tearing into it with relish.

"So," she said, her tone conversational as Toan took a long swig of water from his flask. "Master should tell Xiao a story."

Toan's mouth quirked into a smile. What a way to waste time… Unfortunately, he wasn't all that great at storytelling, so he wasn't really sure about how entertaining Xiao would find any stories he told.

"I'm not really sure that's a-" he began, before being ruthlessly overrode by his cat.

"Master should tell Xiao a story about Matataki," she told him, her tone brooking no nonsense as she began to gnaw on a chicken drumstick. They'd have to clear off the chicken today, before it completely spoiled. The cat seemed more than happy with the task as she finished off one drumstick and began on the other, filling the silence as Toan thought on what kind of story would meet his cat's demands.

 _A story about Matataki?_ Toan thought back. Karlo had been the most knowledgeable of Matataki's ways, often bringing back tales of the hunters that resided in the village. But Karlo hadn't been seen since before the Harvest Fest. A heavy lump formed in Toan's stomach as he dropped the bones of the chicken wing into the greased paper. He'd find Karlo at Matataki, surely – either as an Atla or unharmed.

_Or dead._

He cleared his throat, his eyes drawn to first Atlamillia, then the flickering orange of the fire.

"Matataki Village isn't all that old," he began, and was then surprised at how easy the rest came. "Not nearly as old as Nolun, anyhow. The hunters lived on the outskirts of a forest in the north, called Patina Bog Forest. The game there was amazing, it was said. Birds as big as horses roamed the forests, the forest yielded a lot of food for the villagers."

"What happened?" Xiao questioned, drawing one of the longer sticks from Toan's pile of kindling and prodding the fire with it. Her ears were locked in his direction, though, so he was certain she was listening.

"The monster population in Patina Bog Forest grew huge, into plague proportions, and they killed or drove out all the forest game. The hunters had no choice but to move south, to the bigger and more dangerous Wise Owl Forest."

He leaned back, looking at the sky. It was darker now, the first stars appearing in the deep twilight.

"That was around fifty years ago, by the Mayor's estimation. They're not really sure when the move became official, but the hunter village has been there for a while. Wise Owl Forest provides food for them, but also provides food for many monsters. That's why monster hunters like Aga and Matataki's Fudoh became famous. They killed monsters and cleared corruption for a living, I suppose."

"Fudoh?" Xiao grabbed his flask of water, washing down the remains of her meal. "Who was Fudoh?"

"Fudoh was a great hunter – kind of renown in Nolun and Matataki for his incredible hunts. Almost as much as my father…" Toan ignored the twinge of pain in his heart. "I'm not really sure what happened to Fudoh, in the end. Maybe he just retired… I'm sure we'll find out when we get to Matataki Village." He yawned loudly, wide enough to nearly crack his jaw.

_So tired…_

Xiao nodded. "Xiao will take first watch. Master should take a rest."

He shrugged, only too happy to comply. He didn't even remember pulling the blankets up as darkness claimed him.

_Ghe sei karan go klevra soran aa…_

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Four** _

_**Koramar Road** _

_**Morning** _

They hadn't really expected trouble to crop up that night, but Toan was still relieved to see the sun rise over the treetops without any incidents. He wasn't sure why his stomach had been so tense with apprehension while he'd been on watch. Perhaps the eerie calm and quiet of the world had finally gotten to him; perhaps the lack of birds stirring in the trees had troubled him. Perhaps it was the certainty that someone was watching him…

His mouth tightened as he and Xiao began their new day's trek towards Matataki Village.

Xiao's ears kept flickering backwards and forwards, and Toan had to wonder if she strained for sound – for a hint of life – as he did. Though she'd probably deny it, the look in her eyes was clearly worried.

They travelled quickly and without much talk, several hours passing in silence as they tried to shake the feeling of eerie quiet from their minds. When they heard the occasional flap of a bird's wings in the forest next to the road, the sound felt unnaturally loud in their ears.

 _This is troubling,_ Toan thought anxiously as they approached a bend in the road.

Xiao stopped, dead in her tracks, next to him. Her eyes widened, and both ears were trained on something around the bend. She took a long breath, as if tasting the air.

"What is it?" Toan asked, in a low voice.

"Does Master not hear it?" Her voice was a quiet hiss, and she turned to him, her eyes intense. Toan shook his head, his ears straining. No, maybe there was something. Something shrill, he couldn't make it out well enough to decide what it was.

Xiao blew out the breath she was holding, jerking her head so as to continue. They rounded the bend in the road, and the sound became louder. Toan felt his stomach clench – the sound of crows. A lot of crows. He picked up the pace to a jog, rounding the final bend as the din grew almost deafening-

A caravan of burned out wagons littered the road, their goods spilled; empty, useless. The crows scattered into the wind, and suddenly there was silence.

Toan swallowed.

Xiao's ears were flat against her skull as she crept forwards, her nostrils flaring as she took in the scents. He could smell it too, now. Rotting death, charred remains, burned wood. He forced himself to look away from a burned shape that looked suspiciously human, his mind whirling.

"The Dark Genie," he whispered.

Xiao nodded. "The wagons reek of dark magic."

He felt physically sick as he walked past the abandoned wagons, the smell almost too much to handle.

 _They've been out here in the elements for a long while_ , the more rational part of his mind told him in disgust. _Of course they're going to stink._

The cold logic gave him no comfort as he desperately clawed back on the Fairy King's words. He said he'd saved the world, stored it in the Atla. Toan remembered it, he-

 _Maybe he was not able to save all of it,_ Toan realized in horror. _Maybe he could only save a few places. Maybe these travellers were not as lucky as Nolun's villagers…_

His eyes fell on the twisted hand clutching at the side of the wagon, clawed on the wood. It had been burned so badly that Toan could see the grey of bones exposed and charred. He nearly gagged. Xiao laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It was not Master's fault," she said quietly, but forcefully. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Matataki. Master can send a few hunters back, to help bury them."

Toan nodded, turning away from the twisted hand gratefully. She was right. The sooner they left, the sooner they could give these people the proper burial they deserved. Anger smouldered in his chest, though. This was the Dark Genie's doing, he knew. This wanton destruction of innocent civilians was unforgivable – and would only continue if Toan did not attempt to face it down and defeat it.

 _I will win this,_ he swore silently to the dead. _I will make this right._

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Five** _

_**Koramar Road** _

_**Morning** _

They did not see another burned out wagon convoy for the rest of the journey, nor another living person travelling in either direction. Even so, the grim air that had descended on Toan did not ease, only intensified as the silence and stillness of the world grew more noticeable. Toan trudged on, anxiety and anger boiling in his stomach as they crested a hill in the road. Xiao hadn't complained much, not since they'd encountered the wagons.

He supposed she had sensed that he was really, _really_ not in the mood for her games, and had left him alone in his thoughts. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea – the anger and stress felt like it was festering inside him, devouring him.

There was nothing he could have done, Toan knew that. He just wished it wasn't so.

Xiao shot him a look, out of the corner of her eye. She was worried, but was clearly unsure of how to bridge the gap that had once again opened between them.

Toan fixed his eyes on the road before them, not looking up, not looking at Xiao. In his mind, he could still see the burned hand on the side of the wagon. It had been small, almost childlike in size – he squashed the thoughts brutally. He couldn't have done anything had he been there that night, other than die with them.

They travelled in silence, Toan resolutely staring at the ground. Xiao cleared her throat, but seemed at a loss as to what to say to him now. He felt his heart bleed. Compared to their easy banter a few days ago, the awkwardness stung him.

 _This can't go on,_ he thought miserably. It had not been her fault, either. She didn't deserve to be punished for this. He sighed, dragging his eyes up from the dusty road. He glanced at Xiao, who was studying the sky _very intently_ now.

"W-we should be getting close to Matataki Village," he told her, his voice a little hoarse from disuse. Xiao's ears angled towards him, and she tilted her head.

"Good, Xiao is getting sick of walking." She grinned at him, and Toan felt a small part of his stress dissolve. He didn't smile, but he felt better. Lighter.

While there was no more talking, the silence between them felt companionable now, Toan decided as they crested the last hill on Toan's map of Blue Terra, and he looked up over Matataki Village.

 _Or, what used to be Matataki Village,_ he thought with a sinking dismay as he looked out over the empty, forest-ringed lot of land. There was nothing out there – no houses, no pens for animals. Pike had often talked of the village's Peanut Pond, but there was no sign of _that_ either. No famed Matataki River, just a waterfall thundering into a pool of water at the far end of the village.

Toan swallowed unsteadily, vivid memories of Nolun's haunting emptiness surging. At least in Nolun, there had been someone who had survived the Harvest Festival night. The Mayor's help had proved invaluable, both in practice and in boosting Toan's failing morale. In Matataki, there was nothing. Nobody. The Baron that the Mayor had spoken of was gone.

"Empty," Xiao breathed to his left, walking forwards, her eyes wide. "The Fairy King was able to save them, then."

Toan nodded, and then realized that she was right. There was no wreckage here, no destruction and death, like what had happened to the ill-fated wagon convoy on Koramar Road. Just an empty lot, just an empty lot with some vital things missing.

"Just like Nolun," he said, jerking his head. They'd better make their way into Matataki Village, because there was a lot of work to do before night fell that night. In the west, Toan could make out the dark sea of trees. That could only be the foreboding Wise Owl Forest, he noted grimly as he and Xiao walked down the final hill and into the empty valley.

"Master told Xiao about it. The emptiness. Xiao didn't really believe it," his cat admitted to him as they passed through the tall wooden gates, the gates that marked where Koramar Road ended and Matataki Village began. There were a few scorch marks on the wood, but nothing truly significant. Most of the area surrounding the village had escaped major damage from the Dark Genie's volleys.

Matataki Valley was long, narrower than Nolun's vale had been and surrounded by forested cliffs and hills. Toan shielded his eyes – at the far end of the valley, there was a large wooden gate. Behind the locked doors, he could see the dark, heavily wooded Wise Owl Forest begin. A chill went down his spine, and he shook himself to rid him of the feeling. Of course he'd have to venture into the dangerous, dark forest.

Chances were that the Atla would be scattered all the way through there…

The back of his neck continued to prickle, and he looked down at Atlamillia. The stone's surface was smooth, featureless for now. His mouth thinned – there was no danger near, but why did he fell like he was being watched? Toan paused, scanning the empty flat, his eyes searching the trees for any movement.

There was nothing. Xiao didn't seem to be bothered by the feeling of… _immense dislike_ the way Toan was. She didn't notice _anything._ Shaking himself again, he resolved to ignore it. If it were unfriendly, he'd soon know…

But what to do first? Toan's mind cast back.

_Oh, right. Dran asked me to check on Treant. He said his brother could help me with my quest._

He vaguely recalled one of Karlo's tales of Matataki. Treant, the guardian of Matataki Village, lived in a small grove at the end of the valley. He quickly scanned the area, spying a small tunnel of rock. Motioning for Xiao to follow, they set off down the empty vale. The feeling of unfriendly eyes watching vanished, much to Toan's relief as they moved up the valley.

They passed beneath the huge, over-hanging rock that marked the entrance to Treant's fabled domain, and into a cool grove beyond. There was a large tree growing in a dried up pond. The pond must have been fed by the scattered pieces of river, Toan decided as he examined the area around them. Maybe Treant wasn't in, he thought anxiously when no beast of Dran's size came into sight.

Maybe – his gaze locked on the sightless eyes of the tree.

_Oh._

Toan wasn't sure what he was expecting Dran's brother to be like, but there was no way in Blue Terra that'd he'd have expected Treant to be a _tree._

Xiao tilted her head, staring at the motionless Treant with a confused look. He was not much more than a pile of dry wood – no motion, no consciousness. Compared to Dran, Treant wasn't really much at all. Was something wrong, here?

"Smells like the Divine Beast," she mused. "Xiao can't see much family resemblance, though."

 _No kidding,_ Toan thought as light bloomed next to them. The Fairy King stepped out of the light, his blue eyes worried. The man rubbed a hand in his long beard, then nodded to himself.

"Treant, in its current state, is helpless without water. Treant is a Tree Fairy, that controls the water element. Without water, is seems like speaking is very difficult for it."

Toan found himself nodding along. He supposed that made sense, and revealed why Treant was growing in a pond meant to be fed by Matataki's famed river. Still, the lack of a greeting from the Fairy King almost annoyed him.

"Toan, you must reconnect the river that was cut off here at Matataki Village to revive Treant. Treant will then surely aid you in your quest. The Atla I preserved the village in are probably scattered around the Wise Owl Forest," the Fairy King said, pacing back and forth before the dormant tree. He looked concerned about something, Toan noted. His thoughts turned sour as he realized what the Fairy King had just said.

 _Of course._ Toan looked at Atlamillia. _First the Divine Beast Cave, now Wise Owl Forest. The Macho Brothers must be kicking themselves for missing this._

"You can enter the forest by opening Matataki's gate. It is normally barred, preventing random monsters from barging into the village. I will open the gate for you. Go and see what you can find." The Fairy King stopped pacing, seeming to debate with himself over something.

"Listen, Toan. Make the river your priority. Connect the river to save Treant. Got it? Good. Restore the village, but you must move on with your adventure. Do not try to seek justice, not when it will bog down your progress."

Toan and Xiao nodded, and in a bright burst of light, the Fairy King warped away.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Five** _

_**Wise Owl Forest** _

_**Afternoon** _

Wise Owl Forest was just as dark, dangerous and packed full of monsters as Karlo and the Macho Brothers had always claimed, Toan decided wearily as he and Xiao trudged down a disused looking game path, chasing the ever-elusive Atla.

They travelled lightly – Toan only had his swords and battle pouch, Xiao her slingshots and the ration kit they'd made up before heading into the forest. Unsure of what kind of enemies would be lurking in the darkness, Toan had packed one of everything, but the need for a speedy Atla recovery took precedence over all others. The Fairy King's concern over the speed of their progress through the world was confusing.

 _What could he be worried about? That Treant might perish?_ Toan wondered as he followed Xiao down the small path, his skin crawling as the leaves rustled on the side of the path. Atlamillia glowed with a dangerous, red light almost permanently in this place. With Xiao focused on the search for Atla, he had to rely on his own wits and reflexes. He tightened his grip on the buster sword's hilt, rolling his shoulders so they cracked.

He'd already been badly surprised by a mob of pockles, not an hour ago. They'd only just recovered a fragment of river from the first Atla when the group had swarmed him and Xiao from above. He could see Xiao's arms already purpling with heavy bruising. The bruises and cuts down his face and arms still stung, and he wondered if pockles used any venom…

"Master," Xiao said sharply, and the rustling in the bushes next to the path stopped. "It's close."

Toan nodded. "Good. Just one last piece left." He didn't have to add that the darkness of this place made his skin crawl with fear. The Divine Beast Cave had _nothing_ on this place. No wonder Macho and Komacho travelled here for their monster-hunting thrills.

He followed Xiao down an even fainter game trail, swallowing thickly. There were just so many places for thing to hide, Terra damn it all. He thought he caught sight of a spider, as big as his torso, in the canopy. He shuddered, silently urging Xiao to track even faster.

Xiao led him to a clearing a few metres off the game trail, a small spring of fairy-blessed water at one side, and a large, spherical Atla at the other. Toan blew out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. The last river Atla – the last Atla that'd he'd be going after that day, at least. Not until after he'd spoken to Treant. Xiao gave him a grin, obviously pleased with herself.

"Didn't Xiao tell Master that she knew the way?" she asked him in a teasing voice, running for the spring of water. Toan watched her go, smiling slightly. She'd earned the short break, certainly. How would he have ever done this without her and her keen nose? Sheathing the buster sword, he walked over to the Atla, feeling the red Atlamillia pulse powerfully as he drew near.

He frowned. That didn't feel right –

The werewolf burst from the cover of the scrub with a feral howl, huge, clawed paws locked around Toan's shoulders as the boy was shoved to the ground. The werewolf's slobbering jaws snapped next to Toan's ear, missing by less than an inch as Toan jerked his head to the side. His left hand scrabbled for a sword – _any sword –_ as his right arm screamed to hold back the transformed man's jaws from his throat.

"XIAO!" he roared, trying to roll to the side as the werewolf's jaw nearly closed around his exposed throat. The beast snarled, drawing back one huge, clawed hand to deliver a slash to Toan's face that would either kill him or blind him. It was the opening Toan needed, bringing the buster sword slashing from its sheath. Crimson spattered Toan's poncho as the werewolf howled in pain, the huge claws reaching for Toan again.

The rock impacted with the werewolf's skull as Xiao launched herself into the air, firing a few shots from her slingshot and slamming into the werewolf. The beast was knocked clean off Toan, rolling to the ground a few feet away.

It steadied itself, its maddened, yellow eyes fixed on Toan. Blood dribbled down the creature's skull, from the cut Toan had opened up on its chest.

Xiao landed next to Toan in a wary crouch, her dark eyes darting between her master and the monster. She inclined her head a fraction, and suddenly Toan knew what she was going to do. It would be up to him to finish the deal, he realized, or the werewolf would gut her like a fish. He gritted his teeth, meeting her eyes.

He gave her a nod. She grinned.

She was a blur of brown and white, then, launching herself at the werewolf's face. It sidestepped her neatly, bringing those huge paws around for a double haymaker. Xiao grinned again, pivoting, ducking and launching herself, using their combined momentum and its lack of balance to topple them both to the ground. They landed hard, and suddenly Toan was sprinting. He had to make it before the thing just decided to kill Xiao, no matter who the original prey used to be-

There was a sickening crunch as the tip of the buster sword stabbed through the werewolf's eye and into the maddened brain behind it. The werewolf shuddered once, and then relaxed, releasing its vice-like grip on Xiao's throat.

Toan and Xiao breathed a collective sigh of relief.

 _That was too close,_ Toan thought, wiping the bloody sword on the werewolf's fur before straightening. Xiao was panting, but had the satisfied look of a successful hunt on her face. He wished he felt like that, right now. Instead, he walked over to the Atla, absorbing the light and the last of the river fragments into Atlamillia.

* * *

_**Adventure Day Thirty-Five** _

_**Matataki Village** _

_**Afternoon** _

It had been a relative simple process to reconnect the waterfall, the river fragments and Treant's pond. Or, at least it had been using the power Atlamillia gave him, Toan quickly amended as he and Xiao trekked back towards Treant's grove.

Oddly, though, when they had reconnected, two small figures had run out of the trees near the waterfall. Toan had braced himself, blade drawn, sure they were another mob of pockles out to get him but… they'd simply gone to the waterfall and opened the gates. Water had flooded back down the river again – and when he'd looked for those two small figures again, they were gone.

Toan wasn't sure what that was about, but those small people had the power to turn the village's water supply on and off. Why would Treant give that authority to outsiders?

Now, the river flowed deeply, and Toan and Xiao followed along the banks of the stream. Now that it broke the vastness of Matataki valley, the world didn't seem so silent and empty. Toan felt a small satisfaction at that, as Xiao nearly slipped into the river after leaning too far over the bank's edge.

They passed beneath the overhanging rock, into the cool shade of Treant's grove. A huge pair of yellow, bulbous eyes fixed on the pair as they made themselves known. No longer dried out and lifeless, Treant was green, moving, and organic. He wasn't like Dran, Toan decided, but Treant was certainly incredible in his own way.

Toan hastily sketched a bow to Treant, clearing his throat.

"Treant, my name is Toan," he started. When that was met with silence, he took that as his cue to continue. "Dran, the guardian of my home village, Nolun, sent me here in the hopes that you could help me in my quest to destroy the Dark Genie…"

Silence.

Toan shared a look with Xiao, confused.

_Hreti oo so, ndarian o si?_

He shook his head to clear it. Treant's eyes were fixed on them – kindly, but held a somewhat disappointed cast to them.

Toan's stomach sank in dismay. It wasn't that Treant couldn't or wouldn't talk to them – they just couldn't _understand_ him.

Suddenly, it all seemed so unfair. His village had been destroyed by a giant, four-hundred-year-old evil, and he'd had to reconstruct the whole thing himself. After that, he had to _leave_ his village on a mad hunt for Atla, only to find that the only one who could tell him where the Moon People were, was actually a tree and that they couldn't understand what he was saying. What the hell was he doing this for? His village was back to normal. All he had to do was go to the Moon People and find out what they did four hundred years ago.

The image of the blackened, destroyed wagons flashed before his eyes. The windmill falling on Paige. His mother vanishing in the Genie's destructive powers. His hand tightened into a fist. The wagons.

Xiao grabbed his arm. She was saying something about continuing anyhow, but he didn't hear it.

Toan swore and stalked off, leaving Xiao to deal with Treant and whatever Terra-damn alien language he used.


End file.
